FIGURE EIGHT
PART II:
Quinn stared out of the window, the trees flashed pass. She didn't have a clue where they were headed. But she didn't care.
She had nothing to go back to.
The smell of cigar smoke lingered in the small confines of the car.
How did she get here?
She felt like she was running an endless race. No matter what she did she wouldn't move anywhere closer to the finish line.
The purr of the revving beneath her, it's powerful engine working to speed up. The leather interior was cool, it's texture comforting.
She trailed her fingertips across the seat.
It was the only thing Quinn managed to find familiar.
Everything else was not.
The endless stretch of the road was unfamiliar. The sleek machine she rode in was unusual. Even the remnants of the cigar smoke that swirled around Quinn, clinging to her clothes was strange.
Those brown eyes that met hers in the rearview mirror were foreign.
They belonged to a stranger.
White wisps rose from the glowing end of her cigar.
Santana inhaled. She felt the burning in her lungs, and then the calming effect that spread slowly through her body, clearing her head.
By tomorrow night it would be over.
She leant back into the armchair.
Five years of patience, sacrifice, and manipulation.
This was her father's study. The shelves contained all his prized books.
They were hers now.
She needed to kill one last person. She would finally get her revenge. And the best part was she was doing someone else a favour. The Fabrays would forever be in her debt.
A smirk graced her face.
Tomorrow Finn Hudson was going to die.
The world around her was muffled, the only sound she could hear was the beating of her heart and the sound of blood coursing through her veins.
Fuck it.
Santana closed the distance between their lips.
Quinn's lips were soft.
Santana reached up and cupped Quinn's face with her palm. Quinn smiled into the kiss. Santana gently nipped Quinn's lower lip. Quinn let out a whimper.
"Please..."
Santana pressed her body closer to Quinn's and swiped her tongue across her lower lip. Quinn's lips parted willing.
"...I love you Quinn."
Quinn's tongue met Santana's. Santana felt hot all over. It was like the world had fallen away and it was just the two of them. The heat spread through her body, sending shivers down her arms.
When they both pulled back, they were breathing heavily.
"Satan!"
A man with a mohawk came barrelling towards them, his was gun raised and aimed at Quinn.
"Get your hands off Santana or I'll put a bullet straight through your head." The man growled.
With lightning quick speed, Quinn had pulled her Glock from her holster, and pressed the barrel to Santana's head. Her composure was calm.
"Puck!"
The man's eyes flickered to Santana.
"Back the fuck off."
Surprise and confusion flitted across his face.
Santana calmly placed the barrel of her gun under Quinn's chin. The cold metal sent a shiver down Quinn's spine.
Puck's eyes widened. His grip on his gun faltered.
"Santana…"
Santana turned her head and smiled at Quinn.
Quinn nodded back at her.
They slipped back into their roles, and together they stepped out back into the line of fire.
The fighting men stopped.
The silence was deafening.
Santana smirked eyes flashing dangerously, daring the Fabrays to make a move.
Quinn raised an eyebrow tauntingly at the Lopez clan, unfazed by the barrel of the gun digging into her soft skin under her chin.
"Drop your weapons." Quinn's voice was sickeningly sweet.
They exchanged a look, smirking.
Weapons clattered onto the floor.
Santana felt Russell's cold eyes glaring at her. He wasn't sure whether this was a bluff or not.
"We've overstayed our welcome, Antonio."
Russell tilted his head. Slowly the Fabrays disappeared.
Quinn's hazel eye met Antonio's eyes challengingly.
"Leave." Quinn's voice was curt.
Puck stepped forward. "No."
"Shut the fuck up, Puckerman." Santana's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Antonio's eyes were full of concern. He nodded at Santana before turning and leaving, the rest of his men trailing behind, their footsteps echoing loudly in the warehouse.
Then it was silence.
Santana turned to Quinn.
"If I could, I would promise you forever. But I know I can't even promise you today Q."
Santana tossed her keys to Quinn.
"Take the Jaguar."
Quinn stood there rooted on the spot.
"Go. Now."
Quinn nodded.
Santana stepped forward and laced their fingers together, gently leading her to where her Jaguar was parked.
Quinn opened the door. She hesitated.
"Santana... Thank yo-.."
Santana stepped forward and pressed her body against Quinn's pinning the blonde to the side of the car.
"I'm going to miss you..."
Santana's eyes flickered down to Quinn's lips. She leaned forward.
The kiss was urgent. Their lips met with passion, Santana let out a small moan. Quinn swiped her tongue across Santana's parted lips.
Santana's hand made it way into Quinn's hair gently tugging. Quinn tilted her back as Santana placed chaste kisses up her neck.
Quinn pulled back, her face flushed and hair unruly. Her eyes traced Santana's full lips, her nose, eyebrows, cheekbone and her beautiful brown eyes.
Quinn shut her eyes and memorized the face of the one who had stolen her heart.
The tears that threatened to spill blurred Quinn's vision.
"I love you, Q."
The unspoken goodbye hung between them.
"I love you too, Santana."
The door shut.
Santana stood there as she watched Quinn leave.
She watched as the car drove off. She stood there until the sound of the engine faded into eerie silence.
Santana's heart clenched painfully.
Quinn was gone.
Santana stood up straighter and strode back into the warehouse.
The warehouse where only the dead remained.
Santana waited.
The streetlights flickered feebly. Finn was due back in another 3 minutes. He was almost always punctual to the second.
Big mistake.
This was going to be easier than she thought.
When his headlights flooded the street, Santana smirked. Her grip on her gun tightened. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. It was a rush she would never get used to.
Finn cut his engine.
Santana waited patiently. From experience she knew those windows were probably bulletproof.
There was no need to rush anyway.
In the car beside her Puck already had his sniper trained on Finn's beating heart. She wasn't taking any chances.
Santana Lopez was ruthless, careful and killed without remorse. Everything was done cleanly and efficiently.
Santana hummed contently. The family business had strengthened considerably and she was fucking proud.
Finn stepped out of his car clumsily, unaware that his life was about to end. He was an idiot. Not a bodyguard in sight.
She smiled as she pulled the trigger.
The bullet ripped through his head, blood sprayed onto the windscreen of his car.
He was dead.
Puck's bullet had simultaneously lodged itself deep into Finn's pulsating heart.
The tall man made a gurgling sound before his body collapsed onto the ground.
It ended just like she had planned.
Santana stepped out of the car.
The room was cold and dark. A musty smell drifted into Santana's nostrils.
She ignored it.
She needed to find what she was looking for.
Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the room. The ceiling was low and Santana felt like she was in a dungeon.
There.
She smirked as she noticed the door. It was painted with a dark faded red.
Santana strode with purpose towards the door and kicked it open, the lock gave away and the door splintered loudly at its hinges.
She walked into the room, taking in the way it was set up like a bedroom. The little light that infiltrated into the room came from the small window to the right of the room.
The window was barred.
Anger licked at Santana's insides and she suppressed the urge to go back out and punch Finn's dead body until her knuckles bled.
Closing her eyes she spun to face the bed, where she knew Fabray lay.
Quinn.
Memories flashed before her eyes. Santana clenched her jaw.
Quinn lay there unconscious. If she didn't know better it would have looked like the blonde was merely sleeping.
But Santana knew.
Angry red marks marked Quinn's wrists and ankles.
Blue-green bruises marred her face.
Finn was lucky he was already dead.
Before she had even registered what she was doing, Santana kneeled down in front of the bed and gently brushed her hand through blonde hair. She pressed her lips gently to Quinn's temple.
Her own actions startled her.
She had a job to do and it was to kill Finn and return Quinn safely to the Fabrays.
She shut her eyes. This was just a job.
Santana gently scooped Quinn's unconscious body into her arms and carried her out of the room.
Quinn's face was buried in the crook of Santana's neck, Santana could feel her warm breath tickling her bare skin, reminding her of the times she had laid by Quinn's sleeping side, bodies entangled.
Santana fought the urge to cry.
She was Santana Lopez now. She didn't do these feelings. She didn't love.
She was convinced she had forgotten what loving Quinn felt like.
Her heart fluttered.
She hadn't.
When Quinn opened her eyes she was met with the smell of cigar smoke.
Then she heard the hum of the engine.
She felt panic rise in her chest, it suffocated her.
Finn.
She froze.
Images flashed before her eyes. His large hands roughly grabbing her and tying her up. He was drunk. That cocky smirk before she felt his lips sloppily meeting hers. His heavy body collapsing on top of hers as he suddenly fell asleep.
Quinn felt her airways closing up. The memories brought hot tears to her eyes. Quinn choked back a sob.
She fought to breathe.
"Quinn..?"
The raspy voice sent shivers down her back. It sounded the same. She would recognise that voice in a million.
"Love you, Q."
Santana's hand slid around Quinn's waist.
"You okay?" Santana's voice was laced with concern.
Santana pressed her lips to Quinn's neck.
Relief.
"I love you too San."
Quinn smiled at Santana. Their legs were tangled together under the sheets.
Quinn knew she should have felt fear.
Quinn's blonde hair was messy from sleep. She smiled at the sight of Santana sprawled out on the bed.
But all she felt was relief. It washed over her. Her heartbeat steadied. Finn faded and became a ghost of a memory.
It vanished.
Bare skin slid across bare skin as Santana dragged her arm around to encircle Quinn's waist, bringing the blonde closer to her body.
"Santana..."
Her name rolled off Quinn's tongue like it was made for her mouth.
Santana shook away her thoughts. This was suppose to be like all the other times.
Quinn crashed their lips together. "I don't care if you're a Lopez."
No emotional attachments, nothing personal. It was how she worked.
Santana's lips parted. Their faces so close they could share a breath.
Just a tactical move, to get Fabrays to bend to her will. To be in her debt.
Quinn's fingers laced with hers, gently pulling her towards Quinn's room in the Fabray mansion. If they were to be caught...
Santana's grip on the steering wheel tightened, her knuckles turning white.
"I promise I will always be yours."
"Quinn." Santana's voice was distant.
"We might not have a typical love story. But nothing has been typical for us."
A silence followed and Quinn desperately wanted Santana to just say something.
"I just want you Quinn."
The Santana she knew would. The Santana she fell in love with would smile and tease her.
"Even if it's just for tonight."
Her eyebrows wouldn't be creased. A smirk would be etched onto her face. She wouldn't look so cold.
"Why can't we have forever.."
Santana looked so distant and broken.
"You are my forever, Quinn."
Quinn blinked.
Those brown eyes.
Time and pain had taken the Santana she knew away from her.
"I need you."
In Santana's place was a stranger.
"Yeah..." Quinn said.
Their eyes met in the mirror. Chills ran down Santana's back. Quinn's hazel eyes were even more beautiful than she remembered.
Hazel eyes, twinkling under the stars.
Santana eyes met the brown pair in the mirror. She watched as the tanned woman in the mirror stared back.
"Santana. You will be the next leader. I want you to make the Lopez name respected and well-known."
She was cold, distant, a beautiful monster. The expression she wore was dark. She was what Santana had been ever since her father died at the hands of the Hudson's.
"You must be ruthless. You must strike fear into the hearts of other rivals."
She was a Lopez.
And Santana couldn't recognise herself.
Santana 's eyes sought out the familiar hazel. She saw glimpses of herself, the one she recognised, the one before all this had happened, reflected in those hazel eyes.
Quinn was causing seven years worth of Santana's walls to crumble. She was shattering the careful illusion Santana had created for herself.
Santana's cold mask.
How could someone so easily crack her armor?
Something inside her stirred from a deep slumber, her heart wanted so desperately to feel again.
To return to before.
She needed Quinn.
"We can't we have a happy ending?"
But she didn't deserve her.
The Santana she was didn't even know how to love anymore. Let alone how to love Quinn. All she knew was to manipulate, to blackmail and to kill.
"I'm meant to hate you."
Quinn tore her eyes away from the brown eyes of the stranger in the mirror and stared out the window.
The sun was setting on the horizon. Her hazel eyes focused on the intense orange of the dying sun. The sun's rays blinded her, and her eyes burned.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I love you Quinn Fabray."
But they weren't because of the sun.
A/N: doing more cleaning of my hard-drive, found a rough draft of the next chapter. Thought I might as well post it, but honestly, although it's a bit cringe reading stuff I wrote years ago.