A/N - Alright, super sad chapter, I'm not about to lie about it. Not the whole thing, just certain parts. There's some Spanish in one part. To the person who helped me out with the whole Spanish thing, thank you lots. I had too wing it with certain things, so before anybody makes any comments about it, I already know it's not gonna' be totally accurate. Remember, Bethany's face claim is Emily VanCamp. New character Mia...her face claim is Zendaya Colemen. Any links below, just add the "h" before the "ttp" and take out the spaces after the periods. I'm sorry for taking so long, I'll TRY not to make that a habit. Reviews are love, hope you guys like the update.
Santana-Quinn-Mia
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Jade Price-
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The hour that had passed had been absolute torture for Rachel and Quinn. More Rachel than Quinn, but regardless, they were both so nervous. They had been standing outside of the morgue, waiting for Santana and Detective Hayes to come back. They all planned on going inside, but Bethany insisted that only Santana go in. They protested just a little, but once the detective had brought up the fact that they already had enough problems with the situation, they backed off. They didn't like it, but they weren't about to put Bethany in danger of loosing her job.
"I can't do this...", Rachel was saying."I cannot handle this, what the Hell is taking so long...".
"I know, it's hard. Just...try to relax, baby", comforted Quinn.
"It's Tina. I know it is. She's been missing forever...it has to be her", she sobbed.
"Please, don't do that to yourself."
"Quinn...I don't know who else it could be. Everybody was present and accounted for before we left, remember?"
"Wait...what did you say", asked Quinn.
"Everybody else was accounted for...nobody missed the check in.."
"No...Rachel, not everybody was. Don't you remember?"
"Quinn...what are you saying to me right now?"
"Oh my God...you went to change before Sage came back into the office...".
Rachel was suddenly very nervous."Who was missing?"
Before Quinn could answer, Santana came flying outside, Bethany not far behind.
"I'm sorry, Santana", said the detective."I'm so sorry."
"San...who is it", asked Rachel.
Santana wiped a few tears from her eyes, and looked up at Quinn, who was giving her an all knowing look. The Latina nodded, and Quinn sighed.
"Santana...who is it", asked Rachel again, noticing the looks between the two other women.
"Sunshine", she answered, her voice breaking."It's fucking Sunshine...".
"No...", whimpered Rachel."No...no no no...".
Quinn's heart sank, and she cleared her throat."After Sage left the office, and you went to change...she came back, and told us that nobody had seen Sunshine since yesterday morning", she explained."We tried to call her, but it went straight to voice mail."
"Oh my God", sobbed Rachel."This isn't happening. It's not."
Santana had no words. She just stood with her hands covering her face. Rachel had started pacing back and forth. Quinn tried to hold her, but she wasn't having it. She just broke away, and cried her eyes out. The blond took a few steps towards to Santana, and placed her hand on her back."Can we talk about what happened to her...or do you need some time...".
"Fuck", the Latina whimpered, once again, wiping stray tears away."Bethany, talk to me...what the Hell happened?"
"I'd be glad to enlighten you, but...I mean, right here? Wouldn't you rather go-"
"No", snapped Santana."Just...just tell us now."
"Okay", she answered, carefully."She was found around five o'clock this morning, inside of an apartment building near Midtown. One of the tenants found her in a stairwell, and called 911...she'd been dead for about four hours."
"No...", cried Rachel, again.
"Okay", said Santana, trying her hardest to break into tears."Cause of death?"
"Her blood alcohol level suggested that she was pretty intoxicated...and there were drugs in her system. Cause of death was...an overdose."
"Oh no", whimpered Rachel."No...no no...she doesn't...she...didn't do drugs, she never did."
"What was in her system", asked Santana.
"Cocaine."
"No, that's a fucking lie", spat Rachel."She wouldn't touch any drug, much less something like that! She's just not that kind of person! You have no idea what the Hell you're talking about, Bethany!"
"Rachel, I'm sorry. I'm just giving you the facts...please...don't shoot the messenger...", said Bethany. It was obvious that she felt horrible."We don't know everything yet, alright? I just need a little more time."
Rachel just shook her head, and finally, moved into Quinn's arms."This isn't happening", she cried.
Santana took a deep breath, and kept staring forward. She hadn't made any eye contact since she had left the building."How did you know she was one of mine?"
"Seriously...we shouldn't be doing this here, Santana. I'd be glad to fill you in on what I know so far, but not here." She wasn't trying to be pushy, but she needed to be. Not only did it look a little strange for the four of them to be conversing outside of a morgue, but she thought it might be a little easier if they were in a better environment.
"Fine", breathed the Latina."Let's just...get the Hell outta' here."
Twenty minutes later, they were all seated at a diner, not too far away from the morgue. They all had coffee in front of them. Rachel was still sobbing, and in denial about the situation. Santana was angry, and confused, and wanted somebody to pay for what had happened. She had been trying so hard not to cry, but couldn't stop the random tears occasionally falling from her eyes. Quinn was upset, but did her best to stay strong for her girlfriend, and her friend. Bethany was explaining things.
"I was just about to get off duty, but a call went over the radio about a drug related DOA...and-"
"What's DOA mean", asked Rachel.
Bethany's eyes shifted nervously, before she answered."Um...it...it means Dead On Arrival."
Rachel just closed her eyes, and sighed. Bethany wasn't sure if she should be talking or not. It was killing her to see Rachel upset. She looked over at Santana, who gave her a nod.
"Anyways, when the description went out, it got my attention real fast. She just sounded so familiar. Especially once it was said that she had a small tattoo of a sun on her neck. So...I looked in the tablet you gave me, went through the girls photos, and sure enough...you can see Sunshine's tattoo in her catalog photo. I put all the pieces together and...here we are."
Santana just nodded.
"Will there be an investigation", asked Quinn, seeing that Santana wasn't in much a mood to be Boss Lady at the moment.
"Not if I can help it, and believe me, I will", she answered, with confidence."Does she have family in the city?"
"No, her whole family is in the Philippines. She was gonna' go visit this Fall", answered Santana."Is there any way we could...send her body home to them?"
"Yes, we can do that, I'll just need some time to get the investigation buried. That is...if there even is one. No disrespect towards Sunshine, but I'll need to make this look like she was just a random friend of yours who overdosed and died", the detective warned."Does her family know that she worked for you?"
"No, she kept it a secret. She told me that as long as she sent the money that she was sending home, her parents never asked questions. They were just happy that she was working, and that she was able to send them extra cash", explained Santana."I don't think her family is poor, I just think she liked being able to send the money. I mean...she did pretty well at the Playground."
"She did very well", said Rachel."Everybody loved her, even with how shy she was all the time."
"Yeah", agreed Santana.
"I bet", nodded Bethany."I hate to say this, but it actually works out that her family was always in the dark about her life. It makes it more believable that she...turned to drugs." She hated to sound how she did in that moment, but she didn't have a choice. She was only doing what Santana paid her to do."Now, Santana, I can spin this pretty easily, but just know...your name will be put into this. As far as anybody else needs to know, you were just a close friend of hers. Come up with a back story, it can be whatever you want, just make it believable. As a precaution, you'll need to delete whatever files you have on her for the Playground."
"Wait, why? Is the Playground in danger", asked Quinn.
"To be honest, it will always be in danger, just because of the type of place it happens to be. But, for future purpose, it's best to make it seem like she was never there."
"How the Hell are we supposed to do that", snapped Rachel."She was there, and she meant a lot to some of us! You can't just ask us to forget about her!"
Quinn rubbed her girlfriend's back."Relax, baby. That's not what she meant."
"No, Rachel, that's not what I meant at all, I'm sorry...I really don't mean to sound so disrespectful."
"It's fine, we understand what you mean", said Santana."I'll delete her from the catalog, and have her room cleared out."
"That would be helpful", said Bethany."You'll be able to send some of her personal belongings back with her body. Just nothing that would be-"
"I got it, nothing that would give anything away", Santana cut it."Trust me, I got it."
Once they were all done talking, they moved outside. Rachel stood by herself, a good ten feet away from the rest of them. She obviously needed a minute alone, so Quinn chose to stay away.
"I'll be doing everything I can to make sure none of this comes back to you", Bethany was saying."Santana, expect a phone call or two. You may have to make a statement, nothing major, just do what I told you, and have a story ready. As long as you cooperate, and make everything as innocent as possible, this will go very smoothly."
"Got it", said Santana.
"That being said, I really am sorry for your loss. I didn't know Sunshine, but I honestly wish I could have. I bet she was a very sweet girl."
Quinn decided to like Detective Hayes. She could tell she was good at her job, and that she was truly dedicated to the Playground. Meeting her had eased her nerves a little bit. She saw Rachel getting arrested in a different light at that point. Sure, the situation was over, but still, she felt slightly more re leaved than she had before Bethany had made her appearance.
"Thank you for everything", said the blond.
"Not a problem, just doing what I'm being paid to do", she answered, with a small smile.
Quinn couldn't help but smile.
"I'll leave you ladies to it then. Santana, I'll call you tomorrow."
"Alright. Thank you, Bethany."
With a nod, the detective walked away from the two woman. She was about to make her way down the street, but stopped when she was near Rachel. The shorter woman had her back to her, and her head down. Bethany wanted to say something, but she really didn't know what she could say. She simply placed her hand on Rachel's shoulder for a moment. Rachel didn't really respond to it, and she didn't really expect her to. She squeezed a little before removing her hand, and walking away.
After Santana had left the diner, knowing that Quinn was taking Rachel back to the Playground, she walked. She walked and walked, and cried her eyes out. She had wanted to stay strong, and keep up her appearance in front of her friends, and the detective. Being alone, and walking along the busy streets of New York City, gave her the chance to let the tears fall. She felt so horrible. She loved every single one of her babies, and she had lost a few before. Only, this was Sunshine. She was special, and didn't deserve to die the way that she had. Santana wasn't thinking about what could have led up to it. She wasn't concentrating on how she had died, or where she was. All she could think about was the fact that she was gone. She hated it. She didn't think it was fair, and she was dreading having to tell her girlfriend the news.
After she had walked for about an hour, she had finally called Brittany to find out where she was. They made plans to meet at Smashed, since the dancer was still with Jade, and they were headed back there anyway. She got there, only to find the two of them had beaten her there. Jade was on the stage, messing around with chords, and speakers, while the blond sat on the edge of the performance space, messing with her phone.
"Hi baby", she greeted, as the Latina approached her.
"Hey you...".
"You should have came with us, we just had so much fun! We went shopping in the square, and Jade bought me the best gift ever", exclaimed the blond. It wasn't until Santana was sitting next to her on the stage, that she realized something wasn't right. She grabbed her hand, and looked right at her."San...what's wrong?"
"There's something I need to tell you, baby...".
"What is it?"
Jade looked at the couple."You know, maybe I should give the two of you some privacy. I'll just head back to the office and-"
"No", said Santana, looking up at her."Something tells me that this will be easier for my perfection to hear, if you're around."
Jade nodded, and dropped the the think black cords she was holding."Okays."
"Come here", said Brittany, reaching back for Jade's hand. The darker woman moved forward, took the blond's hand, and sat down next to her on the edge of the stage. She could tell just by the way the Latina was speaking ,and carrying herself, that whatever it was that she had to tell, wasn't good. She was already sad for her new friends.
"Britts...", started Santana."Baby...something happened. Something really bad."
Jade knew. She knew somebody was gone. She knew somebody was dead. She couldn't help but squeeze the blond's hand a little tighter as she held it.
"What is it", asked Brittany. Tears were already in her eyes, because she saw Santana's tears. She couldn't help but already want to cry.
"I got a call this morning."
"From who, San?"
"Detective Hayes...".
"Oh God...", whimpered the dancer."San, just tell me."
"Baby...Sunshine is...dead." She griped her girlfriend's hand tight, not knowing that Jade as doing the same thing on the other side of the blond."She was found dead."
Brittany suddenly felt like she as about to vomit."What...n-no...no, that can't be true...".
"It is true, Britt", sobbed the Latina."She's...gone. Sunshine is gone."
Brittany couldn't even say anything. She felt like somebody had just punched her right in the stomach. Santana knelt down in front of her, and looked up."I know", she sobbed."I know, baby."
Jade felt horrible. She had no idea who Sunshine was, but she could tell just by the look on the blond's face that it was somebody that she cared about. She didn't want to let go of Brittany's hand, but made no protest when the blond stood up, and tried to walk away from the stage.
"No, Britts...baby...come here", said Santana. She stood from the ground, grabbed onto her perfection's hand, and pulled her into a tight hug. Brittany cried into her shoulder, and all Jade could do was watch.
Back at the Playground, Rachel was sitting on her bed. She hadn't said much since their meeting with Bethany. Quinn looked over at her girlfriend from where she was standing. She couldn't help but feel so bad. She'd had her share of conversations with Sunshine. She thought she was sweet from the minute she met her. Only, she didn't know her like Rachel did. She didn't love her like Rachel did. She thought back to one of the very last conversations she had with Sunshine.
She had been sitting at the bar, talking on and off with Holly. Sunshine was helping Aly out behind the bar, and had just set a fresh drink down in front her.
"Here you go, Miss Quinn."
"Thank you, Sunshine", she smiled."You know, you don't have to call me that. Quinn is just fine."
"I'm not sure that would feel right", she answered, shyly.
"Why not?"
"It's just that...you work with Miss Santana now. So...I think she would be upset with me if I didn't call you that."
"Wow", laughed Holly."Sometimes I forget how adorable this one is."
Quinn laughed a little."Trust me ...it really doesn't matter. However, it's your choice. You can call me whatever you want, alright?"
Sunshine smiled, and nodded."May I ask you a question?"
"Sure", nodded Quinn, as she sipped her drink.
"Why do you like Vodka and Cranberry so much? Not that it's a bad thing, I'm just wondering. I don't think I've ever seen you drink anything else."
"That's a really good question", said Holly."I've actually been wondering the same thing.
"Actually, I consider it to be a lucky drink for me", she answered.
"Lucky how", asked the other blond.
"Well, when I started drinking in high school, I always got really bad hangovers. No matter what it was, the next day I was a mess, and my parents always figured it out. So, one night, my senior year...a friend had a house party, she made me a Vodka and Cranberry. I drank them the whole night, got as drunk as I needed to be. The next morning, I was fine. I've been drinking them ever sense."
"Wow", said Sunshine."I guess I do see why you drink them all the time."
"Good story, Fabray", said Holly, with a smile.
"Sunshine, maybe I should try something new soon, what do you think?"
"I think that's a good idea."
"Me too", agreed Holly.
"Alright, what would you suggest?"
"Hmmmm", thought the tiny girl."I'd go with a Screwdriver. It's still juice, and there's vodka in it."
"Not bad", smiled Holly.
"Okay, when I get sick of these, that's what I'll switch to. Deal?"
"Deal."
Quinn smiled at the she stood there, lost in her thoughts, Rachel was looking at her phone, and she started to cry even harder than she already was. Quinn rushed over, and sat down next to her on the bed.
"What? What is it, baby?"
"Oh my God...Quinn...she texted me and I never saw it", she cried, with such devastation in her voice, it hurt the blond to hear it.
"Sunshine did?"
"Yeah...just look."
She held her phone up for Quinn to read.
I went to see Tina...I know where she is...please do not tell Miss Santana. I just need to know if she is okay and why she left me. I need to feel what she feels -S
"Oh my God...", whispered Quinn, as she looked at the next text.
You must be mad at me...I am so sorry...please don't tell. I will explain when I get back. Love you...- S
She looked at Rachel, worry plastered all over her face. She knew exactly what was coming out of her mouth next.
"God...", she cried."It's all my fau-"
"Don't", said Quinn, pulling in, and holding her."Don't you dare say it."
"I...I...could have g-gone to her...or gone with her...something..anything...if I just would have been paying attention to my damn phone", she cried, dropping her phone to the ground."I should have checked on her in her room...or just made sure she was...around. Something...anything! God...I promised her that I would be with her while Tina was gone...I promised! Now she's gone! I should have been paying attention!"
"Baby, don't do this, please. You're making this harder on yourself...stop. Please, stop."
"Quinn I can't...I can't do this anymore...I can't take this...I can't! It's too much! Everything is...so fucked up", she cried. She was getting hysterical, and it was starting to scare Quinn. She held onto her little body as tight as she could, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"It's alright. Everything is gonna' be alright, I promise", she cried."Calm down, I'm right here...everything is alright."
Rachel wasn't having it. She was crying so hard, she was almost choking. She fought against Quinn's hold, and stood from the bed."Nothing is alright! Nothing! Stop saying that...it's a fucking lie!"
Quinn stood up, and tried to hold her again, but she was pushed away."Rachel, relax!"
"No...this isn't happening...this is a nightmare! It's a fucking nightmare", she shrieked, as she headed for the door.
"Stop! Baby...please stop", cried Quinn, chasing after. Rachel made it into the hallway before Quinn grabbed her, and tried to hold her again."Relax!"
"No...no no no no...no", she cried, pushing her girlfriend away.
Quinn didn't know what Rachel would do if she let her go, so she wouldn't give up. Kurt, Sam and Alyson came running towards the couple from down the hall.
"What the Hell is going on", asked Aly.
"Help me", cried Quinn."She won't stop!"
"Rachel...", said Kurt, as him and Sam joined the blond's struggle to hold the little brunette down."Come on, calm down...".
"What happened", asked Alyson.
"Aly...call Sue...call her now", demanded Quinn, through her tears. Aly nodded, and quickly pulled her phone from her hoodie pocket.
Back at Smashed, Brittany had calmed down enough to hear more details about Sunshine. Her and Santana were seated at the bar, while Jade stood behind the counter. She wanted to be nearby in case they needed her, but at the same time, she didn't want to be in the way. She stood idly by, scrubbing the the bar counter down, and doing other random cleaning.
"Bethany is doing everything she can to make this right", the Latina was explaining."You don't have to worry."
"There is no making this right, San. She's dead. The only way anybody could make this right is if they could build a time machine, and make it so she didn't die", sobbed the dancer.
"I'm sorry...I should have worded that differently."
"No, it's okay, I know what you meant. I'm just...really...messed up about this. It's not fair. Why her?"
"Don't ask why, Britts. That's a question that we will never really know the answer to. Asking why just makes it worse."
Brittany nodded a little, and rested her forehead on Santana's."I'm really gonna' miss her...".
"Me too...Sunshine is...was...a person that made it way too easy to miss her", breathed Santana."Everybody is gonna' miss her."
"Sunshine", said Jade, absentmindedly.
"What, Jade", asked Brittany.
The darker girl wasn't even aware that she had said it out loud, until Brittany had acknowledged her."Oh...nothing. Sorry...".
"No no, it's alright. What did you say?"
"Her name was, Sunshine?"
"Yeah", nodded Santana.
Jade walked towards the couple, and stood in front of them. The bar counter was separating them, so all she could do was grab a hold of each of their hands, and lean over."Her name makes it so you can always remember her in the best way."
Santana was confused, yet intrigued by the tone of her friend's voice."What do you mean, Cutie?"
"She's gone now...but...whenever the sun shines...you can think about her, and it will feel like she's with you. Like...when you're outside on a cold day...and the sun shines down on you, and gives you that warm feeling all over...it's gonna' be her...your friend. You'll know that she's with you. Her name says it all." Santana and Brittany loved what Jade as saying, but they were surprised and a little sad that she was tearing up during her explanation."She was destined for that. I mean, not to die or anything, just...now that she's gone...you can think of her every time you feel the sun on you. With a name like that...why wouldn't she spend the afterlife shining down on people, and warming them up..."
The other two women were so blown away by her words, all they could do was stare at her.
"I'm sorry", she said, sadly, as she let go of their hands."Sometimes...I just talk...and I don't make any sense. It wasn't my place to say anyth-"
"No", Brittany cut in."That makes a lot of sense to me. You don't have to be sorry...that's a really sweet thing for you to say, Jade."
"Yeah", said Santana."It's really nice."
"I didn't know her...so...maybe I should just shut up", she sobbed.
"No, you shouldn't shut up", said Brittany."You're right. That's the kind of girl she was. She was what her name is."
Jade smiled sadly."Really?"
"Yeah, really", answered Santana."Thank you for that..."
Jade just smiled sadly, and wiped some tears from her face. She was about to say something else, when somebody started yelling something from the back.
"Mother fucker!"
All three women looked towards the office.
"Who the Hell was that", asked Santana.
"Um...I think it was...Gina", said Jade, as she hurried from behind the bar."I'll be right back."
"Jade! Where are you? I need you right now", was hollered, as Jade stepped lively towards her office.
"Gina's that red headed girl that works here, right", asked Brittany.
"Yeah, and my God I have never hated somebody so much within five seconds of knowing them. She screams at Jade one more time, I'm going back there", growled the Latina.
"No, I don't give a fuck what's going on with your friends right now! This is important!" It was as if Gina knew that if she kept yelling, the Latina would make a move.
"That's it...". Santana went to stand up, but Brittany stopped her.
"No, don't. If you go back there, you'll just hit her or something, and I don't think Jade would like that."
"Babe...did you hear what she just-"
"Yeah, I know. It was super mean, but...I just don't want you to upset Jade. She's not feeling well."
"How do you know?"
"I could tell when we were out earlier. She pretended like she was fine, but I know that she wasn't."
"That's all the more reason for me to go back there and shut her up."
Santana went to stand up again, but Jade emerged from the back."I'm sorry you guys, Gina needs to talk...I'm really sorry. You can stay if you want, I don't mind. I just...need to take her upstairs and talk to her for a little while."
"Upstairs", asked Santana.
"Yeah, it's where I live."
"Oh...wow, I didn't know that", said Brittany.
Jade just nodded.
"Well, what's her problem, why is she yelling at you like that", asked Santana, with some fire in her tone.
"Oh...she just...she gets like that when she's stressed out. She doesn't mean anything by it", the darker girl defended."Again, you can stay and I'll come back down in a while, I don't mind."
Santana wanted to stay, and she knew her girlfriend did too. Only, there was other things going on, and she knew she needed to get back to the Playground. She had some news to deliver to a lot of people, if Rachel and Quinn hadn't done it already. Her phone had been shut off for long enough, and it was time to stop hiding."You know what, we should probably go. There's...other people that need to know about our friend."
Jade nodded."Okay, I understand." She walked over to them as they stood up, and hugged them both."If you guys need anything, just let me know, okays? Death is...hard. I know that...and I'm really sorry that your friend is gone."
"Thank you, Jade", smiled the dancer, as she kissed the darker woman on the cheek. Santana smiled, and kissed Jade on the other cheek.
The two of them walked towards the front exit, hand in hand. Jade stood and watched them, and was somewhat surprised when Santana turned around.
"You know, that goes for you too...".
"What", asked Jade.
"If you need anything...let us know. Alright", asked Santana.
Jade smiled a little, and nodded."Alright."
Once Santana and Brittany had gotten back to the Playground, all Hell had broken loose. Some people knew about Sunshine's death. Others didn't. Some knew why Rachel was having a break down. Others didn't. The minute the Boss Lady had stepped back into her little world, she knew she was in for more than she wanted to deal with. Rachel and Quinn were in the examination room with Sue. The Doctor had pumped the tiny brunette with enough of something. Enough that she was asleep, and unavailable to the world. Quinn was sitting by the exam table, holding her hand, when Santana walked in, and closed the door behind her.
"Hey", she said, sadly.
"Did you announce it", asked Quinn.
"Yeah. Everybody took it just as hard as I thought they would."
"That really is a shame", said Sue."I'll miss that little ray of sunshine."
Tired of having to talk about how one of her babies was dead, Santana decided to push the conversation into a different direction."What's the deal with this one", she asked, nodding towards Rachel."Trouty told me that she had a nervous breakdown...".
"Oh God...", laughed Quinn."You are so not gonna' like this."
"Our little Star here needs-"
"Don't even say it, Sue", Santana cut in."For the love of God, do not."
"…..a break."
"Fuck!"
"We'll start off with a week, and see how she's doing after that. I'm not putting her on any meds, I don't think she needs them. At least...not yet. However, I strongly suggest that she has a few extra visits with Emma."
"Damn it", sighed Santana, as she sat down in a random chair."I mean, I get it...I'm not about to argue, but that really sucks."
"Her clients will understand", said Quinn, not even really believing the statement herself.
"Let's hope so."
"You know, Santana...it wouldn't be a bad idea to have everybody talk to Emma fairly soon. At least those who were close to Sunshine."
"Yeah, I know", she answered."I've already thought about that. Britts is gonna' call Emma tomorrow, and set something up."
"Good", nodded Sue."Now, I'm late for a meeting...is there anything else you need from me at the moment?"
"No, you can go", said Santana, as she stood up. She hugged Sue tight."Thank you for being here, and doing...whatever it is you did to calm tiny terror down."
"Always. I'm sorry to hear about our girl. Just, call me if you need anything else."
A while later, Rachel started to wake up. She knew right away that she was in the exam room. The last thing she remembered was Sue standing over her with a syringe in her hand. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the light. Once they did, she looked to her left, and saw Quinn looking down at her tablet. She smiled weakly. She loved that she was the first person she saw upon waking up."Hi baby...", she said, her voice raspy.
Quinn looked at her, and put her tablet aside."Hey...", she said, leaning forward, and kissing her on the forehead."How are you feeling?"
"I don't even know how to answer that...".
"I know", breathed the blond."I'm not sure why I asked."
"How long have I been out?"
"A few hours, but no harm done. The good news is, you're not getting put on meds. That bad news is, you're out of commission for a while."
Rachel smiled a little."I figured as much. I can only assume that San is pissed...".
"Well, she's upset, but she's not blaming you. She understands."
"So...it wasn't all a bad dream. She really is dead...".
Quinn let out a sigh, stood from her chair, and laid down next to her girlfriend."I wish it was a bad dream. I'm sorry, baby."
Rachel rolled onto her side, to face the blond. She felt tired, and sad."I was really hoping that...I'd wake up from this epic nightmare, and everything would be back to how it was. Sunshine would still be here, Laine wouldn't have gotten attacked... and I never would have told you about...what happened to me."
"Oh, baby...no...you don't have to regret telling me about that."
"I know, but...I do regret it."
"Why?
"I just...don't wanna' loose you, Quinn. You're the best thing in my life right now."
"Why would you loose me? I'm not going anywhere, I wasn't going anywhere. How could you think that you getting...hurt...the way that you did would cause you to loose me?"
"Things like that...they can change a relationship. You'll never look at me the same...I know you won't."
"That's not true. You're still my star, you're still my baby."
"You say that now...but what if that changes?"
"Rachel, it's not your fault that some pathetic ass hole forced himself on you, and I will never think that. It's not your fault that Sunshine is gone. I will never hold it against you that you're going through so much right now. These things will not chase me away from you, I promise you that. I swear, baby...I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." She was in tears at that point. She hadn't even realized that Rachel was crying until she was done with her current statement.
"You'll stay?"
"Always."
"Through my crazy...when I'm acting stupid, and irrational...when I'm loosing my mind, and getting angry with the world...you'll stay?"
"Yes", sobbed Quinn, wiping some of Rachel's tears away."Through everything...through anything...I'll stay. I love you. I love you with all my heart, and I will be here for you."
"No matter what?"
"I promise. I'm not about to let you go through all of this without me. I'll be right here for you, always."
Two days later, every single Temptation Playground employee, and a few select members gathered into the Employee Lounge. Brittany, with Kurt's help, had managed to make the lounge look tasteful enough for a memorial. There were some blown up photos of Sunshine spread about the room, and a slide show of random photos playing on the big screen. Almost everybody was dressed in black, and spread all over the place. Even Detective Hayes had decided to accept Santana's invitation to pay her respects.
Quinn had been in the bathroom, checking her appearance, and making sure that she looked presentable. When she walked back into the lounge, she couldn't help but smile. There were hundreds of people around, and it only proved how loved Sunshine was. Sure, the Boss Lady would have thrashed her babies for not showing up. It wasn't like they had far to travel, that wasn't an issue. The fact that everybody who worked in that building knew Sunshine was enough to drive them into the lounge that afternoon. Some of them may not have cared, but at least they decided not to go against Santana's orders.
Quinn wandered over to the pool table, where Rachel and Brittany were sitting and talking.
"This is such a sad day", the blond dancer was saying."I really don't like today."
"That makes two of us, sweetie", said Rachel, sadly, as she laid her head on her friend's shoulder.
"Britt, as sad as this is...you did a wonderful job with setting it up", commented Quinn."Everything looks great."
"Thank you, I wanted the best for her. She deserved it. I'd say I wish she was here to see it, but if she was...I guess this wouldn't even need to happen."
"True", nodded Quinn.
Rachel glanced towards the lounge entrance. She noticed that Santana was chatting with Detective Hayes."Bethany's here?"
"Yeah, she felt like she needed to be here", answered Brittany."I think it's so sweet that she came by."
"I do too. From what I heard, she put a lot into this whole situation", said Quinn."She made the investigation non existent. Santana's in the clear, and it's as if her death was just a random accident...".
"I wish she could find Tina", breathed Rachel."If she did, it would clear a whole Hell of a lot up."
"Please", said Kurt, as she approached the three women."Do you really think she'll show up now? After everything that she's done, with this on top of it, she won't dare show her face around here."
"She may not know that Sunshine is dead...", warned Quinn.
"Or, maybe she does, and is just too much of a damn coward to explain herself", he argued.
"Kurt, relax", said Brittany.
"Sorry...", he mumbled."I'm just beyond pissed off at her right now. This is all her fault."
Quinn gave him a weird look."Well, if you're going by that logic, you'd have to blame Puck as well."
"Who said I wasn't blaming him?"
"You guys, it doesn't really matter. Let's just all agree we probably won't see either of them for a really long time", said Brittany.
"Speaking of Puck, Rach...did you let him know what happened", asked Quinn.
"Yes, I did. He didn't really have too much to say about it. He got real quiet after I told him. I even mentioned this to him...thinking maybe he'd feel like showing up, but I guess it's pretty obvious that he's not coming", she answered.
"There's your proof", spat Kurt."He knows damn well he's guilty!"
"Kurt...please", whined the dancer."Stop. Today isn't about them, it's about Sunshine. If you're gonna' be all mad, go take a five minute time out. Okay?"
"Fine", he breathed, as he walked away.
"Wow, what an attitude on that one today", said Quinn, with a shake of head.
"He's had a few glasses of wine...he gets bitchy when he drinks. He also gets bitchy when he's upset. So...he was gonna' be a bitch today no matter what", said Rachel.
A while later, when everybody was getting somewhat quiet, Santana decided it was the right time to make her little speech. She whispered something into Brittany's ear, and smiled as her perfection made it known to the room, that she was about to speak. It didn't take long for everybody to go completely silent, and focus on the Boss Lady.
She stood up and wiped away a few stray tears. She felt slightly out of character. It wasn't like her to expose so much emotion to so many people at once. She normally wouldn't allow herself to cry the way she was in front of all of her babies. However, at that point, it was warranted. Sunshine was gone. Somebody she cared about was dead. She wasn't about to hide how much it hurt.
"What can I say about my girl, Sunshine…..," she began. She had note cards in her hand but for some reason she felt like ignoring them, and being real with the room."She was a cute little thing, inside and out. Never caused any trouble." She smiled genuinely even though her eyes were red and puffy. "I swear I had to check her ID like repeatedly and do my standard background check on her a couple of times before I could really believe she was of age and not some thirteen year old girl trying to play it off..." Most of the crowd laughed a little at the statement. It had been a question on many people's minds from the first time they had met her.
"She was so loyal and I never got a complaint about her. Seriously, not from anyone here or….. otherwise. Hell, she never even complained about anything. It was so damn easy to expect her to just do what she needed to do, because I knew she would, no questions asked." She shifted where she stood and looked at the faces staring back at her. "She sent half of her cash home to her family, not because they needed it, but because that was just the kind of girl she was. And I swear she ended up giving like ten percent of it to the homeless, and a lot of other random charities." She couldn't help but smile at the thought.
"The girl had damn good pipes too. I remember this one day, I overheard her singing with Rachel. How such big voices come outta' such little bodies, I couldn't tell you...but there were eargasms to go around. They had me thinkin' about starting a record label for a while," she joked. "But even if Rach is all about star power, Sunshine was a shy little thing."
Most were smiling through their sadness as Santana spoke. It was clear that pretty much every person in the room was listening.
"I really wish I could hear that voice again," she admitted. "I guess I was one of the lucky ones when it came to her. We were all lucky just to know her. When I think about her little body all alone in some random stairwell... it...breaks my damn heart, it does. She should have had more time. She deserved a better end than she got and I'll be damned if I sit around and keep losing my babies to this. I can't save her, but I'm sure gonna' try to keep the rest of my babies from ending up the same way," she finished, feeling a bit too overwhelmed to say anything else. She hesitated for a moment before moving to sit back down.
Once it was clear that she was done speaking, there was a small amount of applause. Some even got vocal, and the Latina couldn't help but he slightly proud of her words. She had meant everything that she said, and wouldn't take it back if her life depended on it.
After Kurt, Sue, Emma, and even Sugar had gotten up to say a few words, it was Rachel's turn to pay her respects. After receiving a kiss for comfort on the cheek from Quinn, she stood from her seat. She made her way to the center of the room, and smiled at Sam as he followed her, a guitar in hands. Once all eyes were on her, she cleared her throat.
"So much of what I wanted to say, has already been said. Honestly...I loved her like she were family. Just like I love a lot of you like family. Sex Playground or not...even the most stubborn people in this room have to admit...we are so much like a family." She smiled, when some people nodded in agreement."Santana was right. Sunshine could sing like you wouldn't believe, and I know that...she wanted that to be a huge part of her life. She used to talk to me about it a lot. She'd tell me that, if she ever stopped working here...she'd get into singing. That was something that we talked about a lot, and those are some conversations that I'll always miss having with her. Right now, I can't think of a better way to say goodbye. Sam's gonna' help me with this, and even if some of you aren't really into music...bare with me, please. This would mean so much to Sunshine right now, I promise you that."
She took a deep breath, and smiled at Sam. Oddly enough, he was already looking at her. Sure, he needed his cue, and was waiting for it. Only, he found himself looking at her for a different reason. True, he hadn't know Rachel for long. He hadn't even known Sunshine for long, but he couldn't help but truly admire everything that had been said about the girl. Especially what Rachel had just said. He surprised her, by giving her a quick hug, before starting to play his guitar. He played solo for a minute or two, building Rachel up for what she was about to sing. They had only practiced together once, but that was all they needed.
Rachel-
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,
You make me happy, when skies are gray.
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you...
Please don't take my sunshine away."
As Rachel sang, a calmness overtook the room. Certain people knew that she had the singing voice that she did. Quinn however, was star struck. It was the very first time she had ever heard her girlfriend belt out an actual song. Sure, she had heard her sing in the shower, and mumble through random lyrics before. Only, what she was hearing at that moment, was so much different. There was real feeling behind it. Talent like the blond had never heard, and she was loving it. Not just because of how beautiful the little brunette sounded, but also because she was singing the song for somebody else.
"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping...
I dreamed I held you in my arms.
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken...
So I hung my head and cried."
As she sang, and Sam played his guitar, she felt a wave of such peace. A peace she had never felt before. She knew that Sunshine was somehow listening, and hearing her song. It made her feel so good, and only pushed her to sing louder, and strong her. For a moment, everybody disappeared. She closed her eyes, and saw her friend standing before her. Listening to her song dedicated to her, and smiling at her. Nobody else existed. It was just Rachel and Sunshine.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,
You make me happy, when skies are gray.
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you...
Please don't take my sunshine away."
When she was finished singing, Rachel opened her tear filled eyes, and glanced around the room. She swore every single person there was happy. As if they all knew that she had seen Sunshine when she closed her eyes, and sang for her. She eventually snapped out of her happy little bubble when the applause came. She wiped her tears away, and smiled sadly at her audience. Once the noise had died down, she took a deep breath."I hope you all remember her forever. I know I will."
Another two days later, things at the Playground had gone somewhat back to normal. At least, as normal as it could be for the time being. People had gotten back into the swing of things, so to speak. It was all about moving on, and getting back to life, and reality. It was a lazy afternoon for some. Especially Santana. She was hanging around her office, alone, and unsure of what to do with herself at the moment. She flung herself onto the couch, and looked at her phone. She had a few texts, and decided to answer them. It was a Saturday, and things were calm. Most of her babies were out and about, or just in their rooms. Brittany was out, and the Boss Lady was bored out of her mind. After laying on her back, for about twenty minutes, there was a knock on the door and it startled her. She ended up dropping her phone onto her face.
"Ouch...fuck", she yelled."Come in!"
The door opened,and in strolled a very bored looking Quinn."Hey."
"Hey yourself", breathed Santana, not looking away from the phone she had just taken away from her face.
"May I sit", asked the blond, as she made her way over towards the couch.
Santana simply lifted her legs into the air, and Quinn sat down. Without another thought, the Latina put her feet in Quinn's lap.
"Seriously", Quinn asked, laughing a little.
"You knows it, Barbie."
"So, did you disable your door lock?"
"Honestly, no. I just forgot to turn it on earlier. Hell, I only installed the damn thing to keep people from barging in here without warning. Mainly, your woman", laughed Santana.
"I'm not sure...I feel like Sugar probably has Rachel beat with that."
"You might be right", laughed the Latina."You headed back to your office?"
"No, not today. I really should but...I just don't feel like it", laughed the blond."I mean, I do work Saturdays sometimes, but there are other times when it feels...awkward."
"That makes perfect sense to me, because I really don't wanna' be here right now...and I live here."
Quinn smiled."Where's Britt?"
"Shopping with Kurt and Sugar. Where's Rach?"
"With Aly and Sam at the gym. After that, she's got a session with Emma. I figured I'd come see what you were doing before I went home to check on Laine. My Mom is shopping with some of her yoga buddies, so I know Laine has to be bored out of her mind...".
"Oh. Well, I'm bored as all Hell, clearly, so are you. Come on, let's go", said Santana, standing from the couch.
"Where?"
"To bother my little sister. She just got back from Los Angles, I haven't seen her in a while. I'm way passed due on annoying the shit out of her. After that...we can go see Laine. I've been wanting to talk to her anyways...".
"You want me to come with you to see somebody in your family", asked Quinn, in shock.
Santana turned around, and looked at her."No, I said come on let's go, because I want you to keep sitting on the couch like a lazy ass. Would you come on?"
Quinn laughed as she stood from the couch."Want me to message your driver?"
"Nah...I feel like driving my own car today."
"Damn", laughed Quinn."You must be bored."
Meanwhile, Rachel was in another part of the city. It was her very first time having a session with Emma in her actual office. She wasn't talking as much as she normally would have, and there was no doubt about why that was. The new environment was throwing her off.
"So," Emma prompted from her spot. "In order for this to work you actually have to talk about what's going on. You do know that, right?"
Rachel had been doing a sweep of the room with her eyes for the past few minutes. "What's going on is this room is so...so common," the little brunette tried to joke. To prove her point she actually laid down on the couch she was on and said, "Shrink me doc." She giggled at her own joke and to Emma's credit, she laughed a little too. Rachel sat back up and leaned against the arm of the green couch. "You really could use some better furniture in here though."
"My taste in furniture aside, Rach," the redhead said gently with a soft smile, "You aren't here to critique my office. You're here because you recognize that you needed some extra time with me and in order to get it, it had to be here during my regular hours rather than at the playground."
"You think Sage will need some 'extra' session time," she said sarcastically, with a smile.
"You let me worry about Aly," Emma said with a blush.
"Oh, so it's Aly now?"
"Rachel, stop with the joking. You have a lot on your mind and you're just wasting time and money putting it off."
"This is just….different. It feels different," Rachel admitted.
"It's still me," Emma assured. "Different building; different room but it all still woks the same. Talk to me. I know losing Sunshine is hard on you."
"Of course it is," Rachel snapped. "She was my friend."
"You two were fairly close. I mean there is a level of respect among all of you for the most part but some friendships are closer than others."
"She was like the little sister I never had," Rachel sadly admitted. "I promised her…." She couldn't stop the tears from falling. "I promised her I'd be there for her when Tina left. I was supposed to look after her but so much was going on and….. God I had no idea that she was doing what she was…. I fucked up so bad...".
"Rachel, Sunshine made her own decisions. You need to realize that. She's the one that opened that door, not you," replied the doctor.
"Maybe, but if I had kept my promise I would have known. I could have helped her but I was too wrapped up in everything else to see. She was sweet and had this innocence about her and I should have kept my promise."
"Rachel, listen to yourself," Emma said as the other woman sobbed. "Everything else? You have a lot on your plate."
"It was just…. There was Quinn and then this crap with Puck and then I got caught up in trying to help Laine. I just left Sunshine to fend for herself."
"Sunshine may have been good and sweet but she was an adult, Rachel. If getting into drugs was something she wanted to do, she was going to do it whether you stuck to her like glue or not. In some ways it's an occupational habit. You either have the willpower to stay away from it or you don't. Holding yourself responsible for what happened to her doesn't change a thing."
"But I do hold myself responsible. I do and...I can't seem to stop. I failed her. What if I fail Laine too?" Rachel wiped away her tears.
"You can only do your best. Laine has more support now, right? Rachel it doesn't all have to be on your shoulders," Emma answered. "You've mentioned before that Quinn's mother has taken an interest in her. You aren't alone in helping her."
"But they don't know. They don't know what it's like," Rachel said with a very calm tone and blank expression.
"They don't know what what's like," asked the doctor.
"They..." the little brunette gulped. "...don't know what it's like to be forced to have someone rip you apart from the inside out. To be so scared that if you don't do what they say they'll blow your brains out. They don't know what it's like to be used up like a piece of garbage and not be able to do one thing about it, just wait it out until their done with you."
Emma's jaw dropped at the revelation but quickly changed her expression. She'd been trained for this. It was hardly the first time such a thing had been revealed to her in her sessions throughout the year. Contrary to popular belief, it was done quite often. However, Rachel had never even hinted at what she'd just admitted before.
"So you see, they can't help her like I can because we both know but...they don't," Rachel finished.
"Have you talked to anyone about this before," the ginger asked with compassion in her voice.
Rachel seemed to shake herself from the haze she'd worked herself into. "Just Brittany and Quinn. Nobody else knows."
"You can't help Laine if you haven't dealt with your own, Rachel," Emma said truthfully. "However this is a start. A very good start."
"Do you think I'm crazy," Rachel asked with a vulnerable look in her eyes.
"We try not to use the term crazy in my field, though I wouldn't classify you as unstable. Why do you ask?" She wanted to hug this woman that had become her friend. If it was at the playground she may have done just that but in the confinement of her actual office, she had to restrain herself.
Rachel looked down to her lap. "Because...the next day...I went right back to work like nothing happened. I don't jump every time someone touches me. Hell, even you know how Cassie is and...I don't turn her away have a panic attack every time she gets rough. I let her degrade me all she wants. I still like sex in general. So what does that make me exactly?"
"Only you can decide what that makes you," was the reply. "But what it doesn't make you is someone who was any less violated. I'm going to tell you what I tell anyone who's ever told me they were sexually assaulted." Rachel nodded, still not able to look Emma in the eye.
"There is no right way to feel after that kind of experience. It doesn't always happen like it does in a lifetime movie. Everyone who goes through this responds in their own way. Do you understand?" Rachel slowly, and un surely nodded. "Some woman can't handle sex for a long time after being assaulted. Some become promiscuous, while others continue to have the same sexual activity as they did before. It absolutely does not mean that they in any way deserved it and it surely doesn't mean that they aren't traumatized."
"I just...need to be okay again. I really wanna' be okay..." said the usually confident woman. "It feels like I'm going a little more out of my mind with every new issue in my life. It's like I finally found someone who loves me and I love return yet, everything keeps going to Hell around us. What happens when….." Rachel quieted.
"When what, Rachel?"
Rachel looked up into Emma's eyes. "When she realizes it's just too much for her to take?"
They'd had the discussion before. Not the exact discussion, although, it was close enough. They'd talked about Rachel's fears regarding Quinn's feelings. However, like most therapy, it would take many sessions and maybe months or years to come to terms with certain issues. Most of the time it was a matter of making the person better rather than fixing them, because some things just wouldn't be fixed.
"I can't tell you that it won't happen," admitted the doctor. It was clear that she didn't want to be admitting such a thing. "I can't possibly predict that but this is about you; whether Quinn is beside you or not. You have to work through these things for your peace of mind before you can worry about anybody else's."
"Easier said than done," she simply replied.
"No arguments from me there. It's a long hard road," agreed Emma. "I'm not saying you can't worry about her feelings or want to make her happy, but when it comes to your emotional state, it has to be for you because no matter who's in your life or not, you deserve to love yourself and to feel safe."
In Santana's car, her and Quinn were stuck in traffic, and the Latina was regretting her decision to drive on her own."I hate this shit, I really do."
"The traffic?"
"Yeah, the damn traffic! God, this is ridiculous! I miss my driver already!"
"What is his name, by the way", asked Quinn. She had summoned the man on more than one occasion for Santana, but had never needed to use his name. The messages were always simple, short and sweet. He was labeled in her Playground tablet as, Driver.
"Tim. Wait...no...it's Tom. Wait...it's Tim. Yeah, Tim." She wasn't entirely sure, but she was satisfied with the thought of his name being Tim.
"Well, he's the problem. You don't drive as often as you should, so when you do, you just get frustrated. You should drive yourself more often, and use Tim a lot less."
"Whatever", said Santana.
Quinn couldn't help but smile, because in that moment, Santana was sure in her mind that she was right, but wasn't about to admit that she could be wrong. The blond chose to ignore it, and change the topic of conversation."Which sister are we going to meet...you have three, correct?"
"Yeah. We're going to see Mia, she's the youngest. She's seventeen... so damn smart, it's not even funny...but...she's a dancer. That's what she wants to do with her life. I'd say her strongest moves are with Hip Hop."
"Wow...a dancer...so I can only assume that her and Britt must get along well...".
"Oh yeah, they adore each other."
"Does Mia know about the Playground, and what you do?"
"Yeah, all my sisters know. My parents don't, and if they ever find out, I will straight up have to kill myself...but...Mia's cool, I'm closer with her than my other two sisters."
Quinn giggled a little."Do your parents even know that you're gay?"
"Yeah, and they're okay with it...but my Mother...she makes all these comments and asks like the dumbest questions all the time. My family, they love Brittany to death, but I try not to expose her to them very often. Honestly, I wish I never even told them about my orientation."
"I wish the same with my Mother", breathed Quinn."She's more than okay with it, but she's just...so nuts about it. It's almost like she goes out of her way to make it-"
"A bigger deal than it actually is", Santana cut in.
"Yes! Exactly!"
"I know what you mean, that's how my Mom is too. And, it's exactly why my baby sister keeps it a secret."
"Oh wait...Mia...she's gay?"
"God", laughed the Latina."Soooooo soooooo very gay. I knew before she did. She's young still, I know...but it's clear."
"How is it clear?"
"When she was thirteen, she used to spend a lot of time at my apartment. This was before Temptation Playground even existed, so I lived on my own. This one night, she asks me if she can have a friend sleepover. When I asked why she couldn't have her sleepover at home, she got weird, and lied. She said something about how our Mom didn't like that particular friend. I knew it was bullshit right away, because my Mom never gave a fuck about who any of us spent time around. She's just not that kind of parent. So, I said yes, and whatever. Well, in the middle of the night, I get up to pee...the two of them are in my living room, watching a movie. I overhear Mia tell her friend that...she liked her more than just a friend...I'm pretty sure she tried to kiss her too, but I couldn't see them so I wasn't sure. Well...the friend, she got all freaked out, and got real nasty."
"Nasty...like how", asked Quinn, with the slightest bit of concern in her tone.
"Called her a few names, made her feel like total shit. It took everything I had not to walk into that room, and punch the little bitch in the face. I was seriously about to do it, but after a minute of awkward silence...the girl said she was sorry. That she didn't mean to come off so horrible...but that she just wasn't like that."
"Wow...talk about a rough start...", breathed Quinn."How did your sister take it?"
"Hard. They barely talked for the rest of the night. Then the next day, before the girl left...I overheard her telling Mia that she wouldn't tell anybody, but that they couldn't be friends anymore."
"Ouch."
"Yeah, I had never felt so bad for any of my sisters in my life."
"Did you talk to her about it?"
"No, I let her come to me. I knew she would eventually, and when she did...I acted surprised. I probably shouldn't have, but at the time, I just thought it might be for the best. She might have gotten pissed off at me for knowing and not saying anything about it. Her moods are always a bit unpredictable."
"Well, I see where she gets that from", laughed the blond.
"Screw you", smiled Santana."The thing is, I know what she would think. I knew that if I was straight forward about it, and talked about what I had to go through...she would assume that it was my fault somehow. Like, because we're sisters, and I'm gay...her teenaged brain would go right to thinking that it ran in the family, or some stupid shit like that."
"I get that", said Quinn."Honestly, if that were me, I probably would have pretended to not know."
Roughly thirty minutes later, they were knocking on an apartment door.
Once they had reached their destination in Hoboken, Quinn couldn't help but be a little confused.
1450 Washington at Hudson Tea.
She knew that Santana's youngest sister was seventeen years old. There was no way she would be on her own in such an expensive area.
"San...your little sister lives here?"
"Yeah."
"Seriously? These places are crazy...price wise."
"You're a dumbass", laughed Santana."My parents live here, she still lives with them."
"Oh", smiled Quinn."Got it."
After a a few minutes, the door finally opened, and there was Mia. Quinn studied her right away, she couldn't help it. She didn't look exactly like Santana, but it wasn't a chore to see the resemblance. A small smile appeared on the teen's face."Okay, no shit...I was just about to call you to see if you wanted to meet up in a little while."
"Yeah right", laughed Santana, as she hugged her little sister, and pushed her way inside."You're so full of it, hermanita."
"Swear to God, I just wanted to finish watching my movie", she exclaimed, as she stepped aside and closed the door behind the duo.
"Let me guess", laughed Santana."You're watching Romeo and Juliet...".
"Yeah...", she confessed, her cheeks turning sightly pink."Shut up."
"Somebody your age is watching Romeo and Juliet", questioned Quinn."I'm impressed."
"Don't be", snorted the older of the two Latinas."She's watching the updated one, with Leonardo DiCaprio, and Clair Danes."
"Who's this", asked Mia, looking at Quinn."Oh my God...did you break up with my Brittany?"
"First of all", said Santana, as she set her purse down, and removed her hoodie."She's my Brittany, not yours, and second, no. She's just out and about. This is my friend Quinn, she works for me."
"It's nice to meet you, Mia", said Quinn.
"You too, and I'm sorry", was the response.
"Sorry?"
"Yeah, that you work for Santana. I don't even have to assume, I already know that you're probably wanting to throw yourself from the Brooklyn Bridge. I know I would...".
Quinn just laughed, and Santana rolled her eyes."Whatever, hermanita...how was LA?"
"It was fun, but I was just ready to come home. Mami and Papi aren't ready to come back yet, they wanna' stay there and figure out how to remodel the San Diego house."
"Again", asked Santana."They just did that last year."
"I know, but you know how Mami is. Loco cambios...crazy changes, always. I was done filming, so they said I could come home."
"Oh, you were filming something", asked Quinn.
"Yeah", she answered, as they all sat down int he living room."For the new Step Up movie, I'm in a few different scenes. I dance."
"Yeah, Santana told me that you're a dancer. That's really impressive, good for you", nodded Quinn."Although...I must admit. I didn't think they could possibly come up with anymore of the Step Up movies. Clearly, I was wrong."
"Oh, so you've been talking about me Hermana", the younger Latina laughed."Good to know."
"Yeah yeah", smiled Santana."So, what's up for the rest of your Summer then?"
"Do you really even have to ask? I just wanna' have some fun. My senior year is gonna' be bomb and everything, but I plan on partying pretty hard before school starts. You need to help me out with that...", said Mia."I need you to help me get a fake-".
"Nope", snapped Santana, cutting her little sister off."No fake I.D. for you little girl."
"Come on! It would make things so much easier for me!"
"Too easy, and I'm not about to be responsible for that shit. You get away with way too much already!"
Quinn couldn't help but be amused by her friend, and her sister. Mia was a bit calmer than Santana was, but it was easy for her to tell that they were related. Once they had gone off into a Spanish speaking rampage against each other, the blond knew it was best to take a back seat. She had no idea what it was the two of them were saying, but nonetheless, it seemed like a typical fight between siblings. She stood back, and watched Santana get fired up towards her little sister, all the while getting lost in the Spanglish that the argument had gone into.
"Mia Alondra Lopez...Mátenme por favor...a fake I.D. for you...te voy a estrangular con una chingada!"
"Besa mi culo, puto! I'm grown...don't you treat me like a little girl!"
As the two of them fought on, Quinn took her phone from her pocket, and checked her texts. She had some from multiple people, but she decided to focus on the texts from her Mother for the time being.
Quinny...Laine needs friends. She's a teenager. She needs to hang out with somebody her own age for once. I'm not sure what to do here. - J
Quinn thought for a moment. She understood what her Mother meant, and wasn't really sure how to help. Until she looked up at Mia. She smiled to herself, and answered Judy's text.
You know what...don't worry about that. I think I can help..-Q
After she stuffed the phone back into her pocket, she looked back to Santana and Mia. The two of them were still fired up, and it seemed as though Santana was about to win the fight.
"Cabróna...Mia Alondra...how dare you do this to me!"
"Whatever", scoffed the younger girl.
"Santana", said Quinn, as she cleared her throat."I have an idea."
"Quinn...not now", she snapped.
"No...I really think you need to hear me out on this one", the blond argued.
"Oh, really? You do?"
"Yes. I do."
Mia studied Quinn's behavior towards her big sister, and smiled."Uh oh, hermana...looks like this friend of yours knows how to deal with your damn attitude...".
"Shut up", snapped Santana, a moment later, turning back to Quinn."What do I need to hear?"
Thank you to all my readers, I look forward to your reviews, and feedback. I love you all...*High fives*
A special thanks to my FF Sister, ljam86...without her, I'd be lost!