The music can be heard from three, possibly four blocks. This club is filled to capacity, absolutely bursting at the seams but this means nothing to Santana Lopez. All it takes is one nod and the bouncer is unclipping the velvet rope. She carelessly saunters past the flashing cameras offering a trademark hair flip before casually stopping for a beat to offer condolences to the mob of people waiting in the cold. Poor bastards she thinks, smirking as the chants begin to fade.

Once inside, Santana looks around gushing. This place has quickly become both her heaven and her hell.

Her Heaven because within these holy walls, she's allowed to be herself, no expectations. In here, Santana isn't a world famous singer nor are there mountains of people clawing for a piece of her. In here, Santana's just another random, nameless face in the crowd and it's here that she worships at the feet of normalcy.

Her Hell because of the amount of time she's wasted, seeking absolution for her sins is unforgivable. Time spent away from her friends and family, inexcusable.

No one really understands why, not really. Truth be told the only person would understand is about two thousand seven hundred and eighty nine miles away, no less worshiping at their own corrupt altar so here she knows, she's safe. Hidden away

As soon as Santana passes the lobby and into the club area, she makes a beeline towards the bar, it's automatic, routine even. The first two shots of Clase Azul take the edge off. The next two silence the racing thoughts and the last one, well that one's for a certain nameless blonde in New York. Santana haphazardly cheers the final shot towards the empty sky and doesn't flinch when it burns the back of her throat.

A few songs play before the lights flash indicating a change is coming. Santana can't decide if this change is a new DJ or just a cruel joke. With her luck it is the latter but right about now she can't remember the last time a slowed reverbed mix of any song has ever been played, in a club no less. Still, there's something in these godforsaken lyrics that jolt the broken pieces of Santana's heart. Like sand beginning to shake, preparing for the inevitable lightning strike. It's as if Santana can feel every ounce of sadness in the singer's voice, even more at this slowed version. The song carries on about being out of their head, out of their mind and it's almost as if the singer has reached deep down into Santana's heart and pulled out every feeling, every word against her will.

Alone and now powerless against the music, Santana's eyes close and she begins to sway.

* Feels like I'm always waiting *

Santana's eyes immediately fill. Flashbacks to six months ago. Seems like a lifetime ago.

She had always loved California, LA to be exact. Growing up in Lima, anywhere sounded like a dream come true. Louisville proved her wrong so off to New York she went. Santana quickly fell in love with the city, the only downfall being the lack of beaches. She roomed with Rachel and Kurt for a few years then Quinn began to visit from New Haven things changed. She and Quinn begin doing things on their own, sightseeing together, taking ferry rides.

Quinn even coaxed badass Santana Lopez into ice skating in Rockefeller center. Everything in Santana's personal life was perfect but her professional life was non-existent, that is until she received a call from Mercedes inviting her to LA. Mercedes had just returned from her tour and wanted Santana to meet a few of her reps. Santana sat on the idea for a few weeks before talking to Quinn about it. They had countless conversations until one day…..


"If you go don't expect me to go running after you like some lovesick teenager, you did that for someone else and look how it turned out. If you go, you gave up on us. We knew this wouldn't be easy but we promised we'd try, we promised Santana." The way she said it with such veracity, such conviction, it took Santana by surprise. Was Santana giving up on them? Was Santana the common denominator in these failed relationships? Perhaps she was but this was her career, a once in a lifetime opportunity and she owed to herself to at least try.


* I need you to come get me outta my head and into your arms, tonight *

The next verse hits, fast forward to the two embracing at the airport. Santana wipes the girls eyes, vowing that it will only be for a few months, they will take turns flying out. She reassures the girl that everything will be okay. The first few months fly by, each girl taking a turn to fly out but the miles quickly add up. Flying from New York To LA became taxing for both women. One had finally been signed to the record label of their dreams while the other had been hired on to one of New York's most prestigious law firms. The world continued to push and pull as it normally does until finally, something had to give.

* Yeah I'm lost without it *

The strobe lights begin to move, searching for their next victim, its patrons effortlessly move to the beat. Santana shakes her head, allowing her eyes to adjust, blaming the blurred vision on the tequila. There seems to be a break in the crowd and almost in slow motion they begin to part. Santana turns just as the space opens and it hits like a ton of bricks. Her eyebrows furrow, attempting to make sense of what she's really seeing because she's been rolled by these lights before. But this time it seems real, their eyes meet, hazel meet brown, beautiful orbs that pierce right through her.

Santana exhales, as if all the oxygen has been restored, her arms collapsing to her side.

Attraction is one hell of a drug, it instantly and roughly pulls at Santana urging for obedience, she doesn't realize she's walking until she sees the girl smile.

"What are you doing here?" Santana whispers, almost as if anyone else were to hear, this would all disappear.

Quinn smiles softly, reaching for the girl's cheek.

Santana immediately turns, leaning into the touch, her eyes close on instinct and for the first time in a long time she begs, pleads that this time, it's real.

"I've missed my home and something tells me, you've missed yours too" Quinn holds her eye contact, she doesn't blink or dare move. Quinn knows what these words mean, for both of them.

The words cut right through Santana Lopez in an instant, her buzz immediately gone.

She embraces the blonde, in the middle of the crowded dance floor, in the midst of all these sweaty strangers, Santana clings on to the literal liferaft standing in front of her.

The next words are the magnet and all the scattered pieces of Santana's heart fuse to it.

"I'm moving to LA, Santana"

The sob that echoes in Quinn's ear strikes her heart, urging her to hold the girl a little tighter, so she does. Quinn's eyes close as she inhales the familiar perfume she's missed more than she'd care to admit. She's taken back to freshman year of high school, they were unsworn frienemies back then and Quinn never understood why. They could be joking one minute and the next they were slapping each other. The two always had this tension, almost as if an invisible force that defied gravity, was always pulling them towards each other.


The reason became clear, for her at least, at a failed wedding, ages ago. What Quinn thought was just a two time thing, an experiment even, ended up becoming a pivotal moment she would never forget. But as Fabray's tended to do, Quinn let her ambition cloud her judgment. One day she was sitting in her plush corner office looking out onto the city and it didn't have the same wow factor as before. It was no longer beautiful to her. New york had always been her dream, that was until she found a new dream, a much more beautiful dream. Without Santana, New York had become just another city.

Much to her fathers dismay and against the advice of her friends, she requested a transfer and when asked where she smiled and said "Home, I'd like to go, home"

Quinn is pulled from her flashback when the club lights hit a teary, hopeful, pair of brown eyes. When Quinn doesn't respond, Santana repeats herself. "I said, are you sure Q?"

The blonde smiles at the nickname.

Q, it had been a lifetime since she heard that. She missed it.

A nickname only reserved for and used by Her.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. You are my home and if you're in LA then that's where my home is"

Santana wipes her eyes, reaching for the girl's hand, the two walk towards the door.

Santana takes a second to look back. One last time, to say goodbye.

Quinn stands in the silence, allowing Santana to close this chapter on her own.

Santana exhales and nods before reaching for the girls hand "Let's go home"