Fic: Bring Me Home
Title: Bring Me Home
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Santana/Brittany, with a side of Rachel/Quinn and a Santana/Rachel friendship
Rating: Teen (for now)
Spoilers: Up through Sectionals, then AU
Summary: Santana learns what it means to love and to lose and fight for your heart's desire once again.
Bring Me Home
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Fox and Ryan Murphy
A/N: Alright, so this was suppose to be a fluffy Santana/Rachel friendship fic but after a couple of paragraphs it became obvious to me that Santana doesn't do fluff, or at least I don't do fluff, but I will promise a happy ending for everyone who was worried about the Santana/Brittany element. So the pairings are Pezberry friendship, Brittany/Quinn friendship, Santana/Brittany romance and a Quinn/Rachel romance. It's moving pretty slow but I will get them together.
Chapter 2: The Concrete Jungle
November 2011, Senior Year
In her longstanding quest to hone her craft, Rachel landed the lead in a community theater production of Fiddler On The Roof, her performance was flawless as usual. She invited the entire Glee Club to opening night and Quinn was shocked that only Puck, Brittany, Mike and herself showed up. Quinn remembers sitting in the theater, avidly watching the doors, waiting for the rest of their fellow Gleeks to arrive in support of the girl who's talent time and again, helped them win competitions. An unfamiliar surge of anger and resentment on Rachel's behalf rushed through her chest as the ushers finally shut the doors and the house lights were dimmed. As much as everyone in Glee spoke of friendship and camaraderie, it never fails that Rachel is always left off of the list.
Brittany is here because she Brittany, sweet, lovable and because she thought everyone else was coming as well. Mike's been attached to Brittany's hip ever since she broke things off with Santana, so Quinn can't really say that he's here for Rachel. But Puck is, shocking beyond belief. She spotted Puck sitting in the front row next to Rachel's excessively proud parents. They gave each other a weird look, the 'what the Hell are you doing here' type. Turns out Puck is a big old softy when it comes to Rachel Berry and the girl can pretty much talk him into anything, hence volunteeringly watching a musical and making pleasant conversation with her fathers.
"Isn't it customary to give the star a dozen red roses?" Quinn questions the boy, gesturing to the dozen peach roses resting on his lap.
"Berry likes peach roses better." Puck shrugs nonchalantly, as if it's not strange at all that he knows Rachel's flower preference. She looks down at her hands, one gripping her purse and the other lying empty in her lap, wondering why she didn't have the foresight to pick up a congratulatory bouquet.
Quinn eyes him for a moment in the dim light, it's a little hard to see but it is there, Puck isn't the same insensitive jerk playing grabass with anything in a short skirt. Fatherhood has forced him to grow up and take stock of what's really important in life. And if Puck can be an adult, Quinn starts to think there may be hope for her yet.
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Quinn came to a decision that night, to make sure Rachel knew that she had someone in her corner. She would limit herself to calling Rachel mean names to at least once per week, that seems reasonable enough, going cold turkey was likely to cause an aneurysm in her brain to rupture because sometimes Rachel was just so annoying that you had to say something to shut her up.
It wasn't as hard as she assumed it would be. Being nicer to Rachel Berry initially went against every instinct in Quinn's body but once she managed to curb her knee-jerk reactions of rolling her eyes dismissively when Rachel raised her hand in class before the teacher finished posing the question or chewing back a scathing retort whenever the brunette listed her accomplishments and gave a detailed summary of why she should be awarded the lead. Quinn found that she rather liked being nice to Rachel.
What did surprise Quinn was that Rachel held her at arms length. Mildly suspicious of her tormentor's sudden turnaround Rachel was coolly cordial to Quinn's offer of friendship, this puzzled Quinn to the point of distraction. True she wasn't as popular as she had been before the baby drama but Quinn Fabray was still eight steps up the ladder from where Rachel sat, so it's not like socializing with an unwed teenage mother was killing Rachel's cool points. Getting fed up with Rachel's polite brush-offs, Quinn confronted the girl after Glee practice.
"What's your problem, RuPa…I mean Rachel?!"
"I'm certain you can come up with a myriad list of things about me that you find lacking, Quinn." Rachel sighs, not making eye contact as she carefully places her sheet music into her folio case.
"I wasn't trying to insult you." Rachel gives her a dubious look, "Really, I just wanted to know why you…why don't you…" frustrated beyond belief, Quinn is grateful that they're alone in the choir room so no one will witness this pathetic display of inarticulacy. Crossing her arms over chest, she gnashes her teeth together and all but growls at the shorter girl, "Be my friend!"
It's sorta pathetic that this is what it's come down to, demanding that someone befriend her, like a weird and aggressive version of those internet social websites.
Rachel stares at her owlishly, she soon realizes that her mouth is hanging open and snaps it firmly shut. "Why?" she asks, drawing out the word guardedly.
"Because." Quinn answers as if that one word explains why she wants to befriend the girl she use to humiliate on a daily bases.
Rachel looks as though she wants to contest Quinn's reasoning but instead just gives the blond a lopsided grin and nods her head. "If you insist."
"Good," Quinn nods, now what? "Alright then, do you need a ride home?"
"No, I have my dad's jeep but thank you for the concern."
"It was just a ride Berry, I wasn't offering you a kidney." she can't resist rolling her eyes, bemused.
"My apologies, I'm new to the proper etiquette of friendship. I don't have many…friends that is."
"Now you do."
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New Directions placed 3rd at Nationals their Sophomore year but the Gleeks still weren't getting any respect at WMHS, nor were they getting many new members. So when a transfer student wanders into the practice room one gloomy afternoon, Mr. Shue perceived her arrival as a blessing in disguise. Charlotte is talented and sweet, a real team player who doesn't mind sharing the spotlight, virtues Mr. Shue repeatedly presses, though he doesn't name names, everyone knows he's referring to Rachel.
Despite the fact that Rachel has lead them to victories in both Sectionals and Regionals the past two years, Rachel has officially been dethroned as the female lead. Mr. Shue is almost giddy that he's crafted his new protégé Charlotte into a great lead vocalist. Quinn on the other hand is disgusted by Artie, Tina, Kurt and Mercedee's lack of loyalty. Brittany and Finn try to make the best of the situation, even if Finn doesn't share the same chemistry with Charlotte that he had with Rachel. Santana has been solemn since the break up and rarely does anything but sulk anymore. Puck looks as though he wants to smash Mr. Shue's face in for upsetting Rachel and Rachel…Rachel is heartbroken but she maintains a congenial façade as she graciously congratulates Charlotte before bowing out.
It should have been smooth sailing to a win at Nationals but the feud between New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline reached epic proportions just days before the final competition of the year. Charlotte, they learn was a ringer sent by the Vocal Adrenalin director, to create dissention within their ranks. Sue Sylvester finally exacted her revenge, this time not by cheating that would obviously lead back to her and cause her to lose her job indefinitely. All she had to do was sit back and watch as Mr. Shue dug his own grave, callously tossing aside his best performer in favor of another that didn't question him at every turn.
On the Friday before Nationals, Charlotte mysteriously came down with a case of laryngitis and was unable to perform. Tail planted firmly between his legs, Will Shuester personally knocked on the Berry household door to appeal to Rachel. To his utter dismay, he was told by her father Ira, that Rachel got a small part in an off-Broadway production and left for New York three days ago, where she would remain until classes at Julliard began in the fall.
In their Senior year they placed 14th at Nationals.
October 2012
The first lesson Santana learns after five weeks alone in New York, is that she's not as much of a badass as she liked to believe. She may have had a reputation for being intimidating in Lima, Ohio but New York City wasn't some hick town. People here had a thicker skin and it took more than a disgruntle glare to send someone scurrying off like a terror-stricken bunny. Insults sails right over the net and were spiked back in an crushing blow.
This city is loud, grimy and hostile. Her roommate made it clear from day one that she didn't intend to become Santana's friend, leaving the former Cheerio severely pissed at being snubbed then, feeling lonely and desponded. It's a foreign feeling, not being at the top of the social food chain, everyone else seems to be able to make a new friend, even that odd girl down the hall that wears too much dark eyeliner and smells like soup has managed to find another odd girl who wears too much black lipstick. Santana may have escaped Lima Loser status by leaving her small town but she is quickly becoming a New York Nobody.
No longer able to stand the stark emptiness of her dorm room, Santana goes out for a walk instantly getting lost, yet refuses to look like a tourist and ask for directions back to Columbia's campus, (cause really that's how most of the stories on Law & Order begin). A light drizzle begins to fall, so she wanders into a little coffee shop only to find Rachel Berry sitting smack in the middle of a large group of people. She hasn't seen Berry since the short brunette skipped town before the end of their Senior year of high school and though they managed to be civil towards one another through their mutual friendship with Quinn, they were hardly what one would refer to as a true friend.
For lack of anything better to do, Santana takes a minute to survey her surroundings, it's a typical bohemian café, the patrons she assumes must be students from Julliard because nearly everyone either has a textbook on Musical Theory, are dressed in easy movement dance gear or are cradling an instrument. A tall good looking guy with sandy blond hair, carelessly strums a guitar, gazing adoringly at Rachel as she happily belts out the lyrics to some sappy love song.
"Fuck my life." Santana groans.
Every eye in the vicinity is glued to Rachel and Santana marvels at what a commanding presences the balladeer possesses, she has the crowd eating out of her hand. It's ironic that Berry would fit right in with the artsy crowd while Santana is the one on the outside looking in and she feels a tiny stab of remorse for making Rachel feel this way since the third grade. She tries to slip out unnoticed but some rude jerk bumps into her, causing her to bump into someone else, sending a dish crashing to the floor. The loud clatter draws attention to the hapless Latina and Rachel's big brown eyes widen in surprise, she gives Santana the first welcoming smile she's seen since moving to the Concrete Jungle.
"Santana hi," She says in that annoyingly chipper voice, "I was wondering when I would bump into you. Everyone this is Santana, we went to high school together back in Ohio." Rachel explains to the group.
"Cool," perfect haircut smiles, sliding his chair over a bit to make room, "join us?"
Santana pauses, debating if she should rebuff the offer to join what is obviously the Rachel Berry fan club meeting but the only alternative is leaving and desperately trying to find her way back to her empty dorm. So she sits and twenty minutes later, Santana discovers that this was the best decision she has made in a very long time. The group is friendly and though they are all students at the prestigious Julliard School, music isn't the only thing they talk about.
Brittany was always nice enough to people for the both of them so Santana never felt inclined to be polite. But Brittany isn't here anymore, she bitterly reminds herself, and making pleasant conversation feels like the first time she tried a double backflip only to fall flat on her ass. It's painful but at least she's making an effort, Brittany would be so proud of her.
As the conversation continues, Santana listens to the others talk about being away from home for the first time in a big and often times scary city, she relaxes and even confesses that she got totally lost today. Rachel, who has been coming to New York to visit her grandmother since she was a child, knows the city pretty well and offers to give Santana directions back to her dorm.
Santana nods gratefully, taking a sip from her chi tea and gets lost in the comfort of finally finding a comfortable place in her new home.
On her mini tour of the city, Rachel apologized profusely for abandoning Glee after Charlotte's web of lies were exposed but Santana simply brushed it off.
"You weren't in the wrong, they treated you like shit, frankly I'm surprised you put up with it for as long as you did."
"Not everyone shares the same forgiving attitude as you, Santana. I received several emails from our former classmates stating that my leaving town right before our final competition was selfish and it cost us a win."
"The only people who think that are the ones who's opinion doesn't matter. You're probably the only one who's future depended upon being discovered on stage, but you got your break anyway, you're going to Julliard, you were in a Broadway show."
"An off-Broadway show," Rachel corrects the other girl. "so far off in fact that it may as well have been in Scarsdale."
"Whatever. So what was the play about?" Santana finds herself asking, genuinely interested
"It was about a girl, the Queen Bee of the drama club who quits a school production of Rent because the small minded townspeople wanted to cut out a song. Naturally, her sudden departure causes an uproar, there's this big controvercy over censorship and in the end the show goes on intact and she nails the performance. It's a lot more interesting when you see it in person." Rachel explains, taking in the pensieve look on Santana's face.
"No it sounds good, I was just thinking that it was the perfect role for you. It sounds like something you would do and have done." the girl replies not unkindly.
Rachel smiles at her, taking her arm and tugging Santana quickly across the street. They make it back to her dorm in no time, even though this wasn't what she had planned for her future, Santana is grateful to at least have one friendly face in this city.
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Santana/Brittany, with a side of Rachel/Quinn and a Santana/Rachel friendship
Rating: Teen (for now)
Spoilers: Up through Sectionals, then AU
Summary: Santana learns what it means to love and to lose and fight for your heart's desire once again.
Bring Me Home
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Fox and Ryan Murphy
A/N: Alright, so this was suppose to be a fluffy Santana/Rachel friendship fic but after a couple of paragraphs it became obvious to me that Santana doesn't do fluff, or at least I don't do fluff, but I will promise a happy ending for everyone who was worried about the Santana/Brittany element. So the pairings are Pezberry friendship, Brittany/Quinn friendship, Santana/Brittany romance and a Quinn/Rachel romance. It's moving pretty slow but I will get them together.
Chapter 2: The Concrete Jungle
November 2011, Senior Year
In her longstanding quest to hone her craft, Rachel landed the lead in a community theater production of Fiddler On The Roof, her performance was flawless as usual. She invited the entire Glee Club to opening night and Quinn was shocked that only Puck, Brittany, Mike and herself showed up. Quinn remembers sitting in the theater, avidly watching the doors, waiting for the rest of their fellow Gleeks to arrive in support of the girl who's talent time and again, helped them win competitions. An unfamiliar surge of anger and resentment on Rachel's behalf rushed through her chest as the ushers finally shut the doors and the house lights were dimmed. As much as everyone in Glee spoke of friendship and camaraderie, it never fails that Rachel is always left off of the list.
Brittany is here because she Brittany, sweet, lovable and because she thought everyone else was coming as well. Mike's been attached to Brittany's hip ever since she broke things off with Santana, so Quinn can't really say that he's here for Rachel. But Puck is, shocking beyond belief. She spotted Puck sitting in the front row next to Rachel's excessively proud parents. They gave each other a weird look, the 'what the Hell are you doing here' type. Turns out Puck is a big old softy when it comes to Rachel Berry and the girl can pretty much talk him into anything, hence volunteeringly watching a musical and making pleasant conversation with her fathers.
"Isn't it customary to give the star a dozen red roses?" Quinn questions the boy, gesturing to the dozen peach roses resting on his lap.
"Berry likes peach roses better." Puck shrugs nonchalantly, as if it's not strange at all that he knows Rachel's flower preference. She looks down at her hands, one gripping her purse and the other lying empty in her lap, wondering why she didn't have the foresight to pick up a congratulatory bouquet.
Quinn eyes him for a moment in the dim light, it's a little hard to see but it is there, Puck isn't the same insensitive jerk playing grabass with anything in a short skirt. Fatherhood has forced him to grow up and take stock of what's really important in life. And if Puck can be an adult, Quinn starts to think there may be hope for her yet.
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Quinn came to a decision that night, to make sure Rachel knew that she had someone in her corner. She would limit herself to calling Rachel mean names to at least once per week, that seems reasonable enough, going cold turkey was likely to cause an aneurysm in her brain to rupture because sometimes Rachel was just so annoying that you had to say something to shut her up.
It wasn't as hard as she assumed it would be. Being nicer to Rachel Berry initially went against every instinct in Quinn's body but once she managed to curb her knee-jerk reactions of rolling her eyes dismissively when Rachel raised her hand in class before the teacher finished posing the question or chewing back a scathing retort whenever the brunette listed her accomplishments and gave a detailed summary of why she should be awarded the lead. Quinn found that she rather liked being nice to Rachel.
What did surprise Quinn was that Rachel held her at arms length. Mildly suspicious of her tormentor's sudden turnaround Rachel was coolly cordial to Quinn's offer of friendship, this puzzled Quinn to the point of distraction. True she wasn't as popular as she had been before the baby drama but Quinn Fabray was still eight steps up the ladder from where Rachel sat, so it's not like socializing with an unwed teenage mother was killing Rachel's cool points. Getting fed up with Rachel's polite brush-offs, Quinn confronted the girl after Glee practice.
"What's your problem, RuPa…I mean Rachel?!"
"I'm certain you can come up with a myriad list of things about me that you find lacking, Quinn." Rachel sighs, not making eye contact as she carefully places her sheet music into her folio case.
"I wasn't trying to insult you." Rachel gives her a dubious look, "Really, I just wanted to know why you…why don't you…" frustrated beyond belief, Quinn is grateful that they're alone in the choir room so no one will witness this pathetic display of inarticulacy. Crossing her arms over chest, she gnashes her teeth together and all but growls at the shorter girl, "Be my friend!"
It's sorta pathetic that this is what it's come down to, demanding that someone befriend her, like a weird and aggressive version of those internet social websites.
Rachel stares at her owlishly, she soon realizes that her mouth is hanging open and snaps it firmly shut. "Why?" she asks, drawing out the word guardedly.
"Because." Quinn answers as if that one word explains why she wants to befriend the girl she use to humiliate on a daily bases.
Rachel looks as though she wants to contest Quinn's reasoning but instead just gives the blond a lopsided grin and nods her head. "If you insist."
"Good," Quinn nods, now what? "Alright then, do you need a ride home?"
"No, I have my dad's jeep but thank you for the concern."
"It was just a ride Berry, I wasn't offering you a kidney." she can't resist rolling her eyes, bemused.
"My apologies, I'm new to the proper etiquette of friendship. I don't have many…friends that is."
"Now you do."
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New Directions placed 3rd at Nationals their Sophomore year but the Gleeks still weren't getting any respect at WMHS, nor were they getting many new members. So when a transfer student wanders into the practice room one gloomy afternoon, Mr. Shue perceived her arrival as a blessing in disguise. Charlotte is talented and sweet, a real team player who doesn't mind sharing the spotlight, virtues Mr. Shue repeatedly presses, though he doesn't name names, everyone knows he's referring to Rachel.
Despite the fact that Rachel has lead them to victories in both Sectionals and Regionals the past two years, Rachel has officially been dethroned as the female lead. Mr. Shue is almost giddy that he's crafted his new protégé Charlotte into a great lead vocalist. Quinn on the other hand is disgusted by Artie, Tina, Kurt and Mercedee's lack of loyalty. Brittany and Finn try to make the best of the situation, even if Finn doesn't share the same chemistry with Charlotte that he had with Rachel. Santana has been solemn since the break up and rarely does anything but sulk anymore. Puck looks as though he wants to smash Mr. Shue's face in for upsetting Rachel and Rachel…Rachel is heartbroken but she maintains a congenial façade as she graciously congratulates Charlotte before bowing out.
It should have been smooth sailing to a win at Nationals but the feud between New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline reached epic proportions just days before the final competition of the year. Charlotte, they learn was a ringer sent by the Vocal Adrenalin director, to create dissention within their ranks. Sue Sylvester finally exacted her revenge, this time not by cheating that would obviously lead back to her and cause her to lose her job indefinitely. All she had to do was sit back and watch as Mr. Shue dug his own grave, callously tossing aside his best performer in favor of another that didn't question him at every turn.
On the Friday before Nationals, Charlotte mysteriously came down with a case of laryngitis and was unable to perform. Tail planted firmly between his legs, Will Shuester personally knocked on the Berry household door to appeal to Rachel. To his utter dismay, he was told by her father Ira, that Rachel got a small part in an off-Broadway production and left for New York three days ago, where she would remain until classes at Julliard began in the fall.
In their Senior year they placed 14th at Nationals.
October 2012
The first lesson Santana learns after five weeks alone in New York, is that she's not as much of a badass as she liked to believe. She may have had a reputation for being intimidating in Lima, Ohio but New York City wasn't some hick town. People here had a thicker skin and it took more than a disgruntle glare to send someone scurrying off like a terror-stricken bunny. Insults sails right over the net and were spiked back in an crushing blow.
This city is loud, grimy and hostile. Her roommate made it clear from day one that she didn't intend to become Santana's friend, leaving the former Cheerio severely pissed at being snubbed then, feeling lonely and desponded. It's a foreign feeling, not being at the top of the social food chain, everyone else seems to be able to make a new friend, even that odd girl down the hall that wears too much dark eyeliner and smells like soup has managed to find another odd girl who wears too much black lipstick. Santana may have escaped Lima Loser status by leaving her small town but she is quickly becoming a New York Nobody.
No longer able to stand the stark emptiness of her dorm room, Santana goes out for a walk instantly getting lost, yet refuses to look like a tourist and ask for directions back to Columbia's campus, (cause really that's how most of the stories on Law & Order begin). A light drizzle begins to fall, so she wanders into a little coffee shop only to find Rachel Berry sitting smack in the middle of a large group of people. She hasn't seen Berry since the short brunette skipped town before the end of their Senior year of high school and though they managed to be civil towards one another through their mutual friendship with Quinn, they were hardly what one would refer to as a true friend.
For lack of anything better to do, Santana takes a minute to survey her surroundings, it's a typical bohemian café, the patrons she assumes must be students from Julliard because nearly everyone either has a textbook on Musical Theory, are dressed in easy movement dance gear or are cradling an instrument. A tall good looking guy with sandy blond hair, carelessly strums a guitar, gazing adoringly at Rachel as she happily belts out the lyrics to some sappy love song.
"Fuck my life." Santana groans.
Every eye in the vicinity is glued to Rachel and Santana marvels at what a commanding presences the balladeer possesses, she has the crowd eating out of her hand. It's ironic that Berry would fit right in with the artsy crowd while Santana is the one on the outside looking in and she feels a tiny stab of remorse for making Rachel feel this way since the third grade. She tries to slip out unnoticed but some rude jerk bumps into her, causing her to bump into someone else, sending a dish crashing to the floor. The loud clatter draws attention to the hapless Latina and Rachel's big brown eyes widen in surprise, she gives Santana the first welcoming smile she's seen since moving to the Concrete Jungle.
"Santana hi," She says in that annoyingly chipper voice, "I was wondering when I would bump into you. Everyone this is Santana, we went to high school together back in Ohio." Rachel explains to the group.
"Cool," perfect haircut smiles, sliding his chair over a bit to make room, "join us?"
Santana pauses, debating if she should rebuff the offer to join what is obviously the Rachel Berry fan club meeting but the only alternative is leaving and desperately trying to find her way back to her empty dorm. So she sits and twenty minutes later, Santana discovers that this was the best decision she has made in a very long time. The group is friendly and though they are all students at the prestigious Julliard School, music isn't the only thing they talk about.
Brittany was always nice enough to people for the both of them so Santana never felt inclined to be polite. But Brittany isn't here anymore, she bitterly reminds herself, and making pleasant conversation feels like the first time she tried a double backflip only to fall flat on her ass. It's painful but at least she's making an effort, Brittany would be so proud of her.
As the conversation continues, Santana listens to the others talk about being away from home for the first time in a big and often times scary city, she relaxes and even confesses that she got totally lost today. Rachel, who has been coming to New York to visit her grandmother since she was a child, knows the city pretty well and offers to give Santana directions back to her dorm.
Santana nods gratefully, taking a sip from her chi tea and gets lost in the comfort of finally finding a comfortable place in her new home.
On her mini tour of the city, Rachel apologized profusely for abandoning Glee after Charlotte's web of lies were exposed but Santana simply brushed it off.
"You weren't in the wrong, they treated you like shit, frankly I'm surprised you put up with it for as long as you did."
"Not everyone shares the same forgiving attitude as you, Santana. I received several emails from our former classmates stating that my leaving town right before our final competition was selfish and it cost us a win."
"The only people who think that are the ones who's opinion doesn't matter. You're probably the only one who's future depended upon being discovered on stage, but you got your break anyway, you're going to Julliard, you were in a Broadway show."
"An off-Broadway show," Rachel corrects the other girl. "so far off in fact that it may as well have been in Scarsdale."
"Whatever. So what was the play about?" Santana finds herself asking, genuinely interested
"It was about a girl, the Queen Bee of the drama club who quits a school production of Rent because the small minded townspeople wanted to cut out a song. Naturally, her sudden departure causes an uproar, there's this big controvercy over censorship and in the end the show goes on intact and she nails the performance. It's a lot more interesting when you see it in person." Rachel explains, taking in the pensieve look on Santana's face.
"No it sounds good, I was just thinking that it was the perfect role for you. It sounds like something you would do and have done." the girl replies not unkindly.
Rachel smiles at her, taking her arm and tugging Santana quickly across the street. They make it back to her dorm in no time, even though this wasn't what she had planned for her future, Santana is grateful to at least have one friendly face in this city.