Microfic: Believe You
Santana remembers exactly where she was at last year's Sectionals.
“Think back to where you were this time last year,” Mr. Schuester ordered, and even though she didn’t want to, Santana did.
She remembered exactly where she’d been during their first Sectionals competition. The club was on the verge of falling apart, and she was in danger of losing something that actually made her happy-and every single person in that room (other than Brittany) was ready to turn on her, because she was Sue Sylvester’s little mole. And she refused to let that happen, so she’d tried to make them understand that, proud Cheerio though she was, there was no way she’d ever actually ruin glee club.
The first person who’d actually believed her had been Rachel.
Santana had never been able to wrap her mind around that, and she found she didn’t really want to think about what it meant that Rachel had once trusted her when everyone else had wanted her to be the villain.
Rachel had always been obnoxious, but she was tenacious and fierce as hell, and Santana couldn’t help but secretly admire her, the way she bounced back every time someone did something awful to her. And this thing, this thing that she had had a hand in, seemed like it could actually break Rachel Berry. Even if Rachel wasn’t singing the solo this year, Santana knew there was no room to be too proud to recognize that without Rachel performing properly, New Directions would be toast. No matter what she was singing, Rachel was the force that held glee together and made it work. Faced with the prospect of losing glee once again, Santana knew it was up to her to step up and make things right.
As they filed out of the green room after Mr. Schue’s less than encouraging lecture, Santana carefully pulled Rachel aside. “Santana, I really don’t have the energy-” she said wearily, but Santana cut her off.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted, and Rachel’s eyes turned into saucers.
“You’re…sorry?”
“I’m sorry I told you about me and Finn, okay? And I’m sorry I rubbed it in your face afterward. Finn’s a jerk, Rachel. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“Santana, what are you trying to accomplish?” Rachel demanded, folding her arms, and Santana had to close her eyes and take a breath.
“Look. Glee is important to me, and last year, when everyone was ready to blame me and Brittany for the setlist leak and the whole disaster we were in, you believed me when I said I’d never mess this up on purpose.”
Rachel stared at her for a moment, then dropped her head. Santana sighed. “I know we don’t get along, but you’re the reason this club works, okay? We need you today.”
“I loved him, you know, and… He never made me feel like… Like he wouldn’t throw me over for you if he got the chance.”
“I know,” Santana said, shaking her head. “He’s already done it once.”
“I’m not mad at you, Santana,” Rachel said softly.
“You should be. I’ve been awful to you, and… You never really deserved it.”
“I shouldn’t have left you or Mercedes out of that glee girls’ meeting the other week.”
“No. But I shouldn’t have done this either.”
“At least not until after Sectionals,” Rachel said, managing a weak smile.
Santana smirked in return, and Rachel’s smile grew wider. “There, I knew your priorities were really in order. Come on.” She put a hand on Rachel’s back and steered her backstage.
“You’re going to be amazing out there,” Rachel whispered, as they took their positions behind the curtain, and to her horror, Santana blushed. Who knew a compliment from the dwarf could mean that much to her?
“I know,” Santana said, her confidence back in place, and she found she was delighted to receive the grin Rachel offered her.
“Think back to where you were this time last year,” Mr. Schuester ordered, and even though she didn’t want to, Santana did.
She remembered exactly where she’d been during their first Sectionals competition. The club was on the verge of falling apart, and she was in danger of losing something that actually made her happy-and every single person in that room (other than Brittany) was ready to turn on her, because she was Sue Sylvester’s little mole. And she refused to let that happen, so she’d tried to make them understand that, proud Cheerio though she was, there was no way she’d ever actually ruin glee club.
The first person who’d actually believed her had been Rachel.
Santana had never been able to wrap her mind around that, and she found she didn’t really want to think about what it meant that Rachel had once trusted her when everyone else had wanted her to be the villain.
Rachel had always been obnoxious, but she was tenacious and fierce as hell, and Santana couldn’t help but secretly admire her, the way she bounced back every time someone did something awful to her. And this thing, this thing that she had had a hand in, seemed like it could actually break Rachel Berry. Even if Rachel wasn’t singing the solo this year, Santana knew there was no room to be too proud to recognize that without Rachel performing properly, New Directions would be toast. No matter what she was singing, Rachel was the force that held glee together and made it work. Faced with the prospect of losing glee once again, Santana knew it was up to her to step up and make things right.
As they filed out of the green room after Mr. Schue’s less than encouraging lecture, Santana carefully pulled Rachel aside. “Santana, I really don’t have the energy-” she said wearily, but Santana cut her off.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted, and Rachel’s eyes turned into saucers.
“You’re…sorry?”
“I’m sorry I told you about me and Finn, okay? And I’m sorry I rubbed it in your face afterward. Finn’s a jerk, Rachel. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“Santana, what are you trying to accomplish?” Rachel demanded, folding her arms, and Santana had to close her eyes and take a breath.
“Look. Glee is important to me, and last year, when everyone was ready to blame me and Brittany for the setlist leak and the whole disaster we were in, you believed me when I said I’d never mess this up on purpose.”
Rachel stared at her for a moment, then dropped her head. Santana sighed. “I know we don’t get along, but you’re the reason this club works, okay? We need you today.”
“I loved him, you know, and… He never made me feel like… Like he wouldn’t throw me over for you if he got the chance.”
“I know,” Santana said, shaking her head. “He’s already done it once.”
“I’m not mad at you, Santana,” Rachel said softly.
“You should be. I’ve been awful to you, and… You never really deserved it.”
“I shouldn’t have left you or Mercedes out of that glee girls’ meeting the other week.”
“No. But I shouldn’t have done this either.”
“At least not until after Sectionals,” Rachel said, managing a weak smile.
Santana smirked in return, and Rachel’s smile grew wider. “There, I knew your priorities were really in order. Come on.” She put a hand on Rachel’s back and steered her backstage.
“You’re going to be amazing out there,” Rachel whispered, as they took their positions behind the curtain, and to her horror, Santana blushed. Who knew a compliment from the dwarf could mean that much to her?
“I know,” Santana said, her confidence back in place, and she found she was delighted to receive the grin Rachel offered her.