A.N. A little random for the day…
XX
"This movie is terrible," Santana mumbled with a roll of her eyes.
"It's a classic." Rachel smiled.
The cheerleader sighed. "I hate subtitles. And spare me the jokes about dumb cheerleaders and reading."
"Why do you hate subtitles?" Rachel asked. She turned on her side, the movie forgotten as she gazed at the girl next to her.
Santana shrugged. "Because I like to look at people's faces when they speak."
Rachel grinned. "Oh really?"
Santana smirked and met her girlfriend's gaze evenly and stared into her eyes for a long moment. "You can tell so much about someone by their eyes."
"And what do my eyes tell you?" Rachel wondered, pressing a gentle kiss to the other girl's lips.
"That you have a kind, forgiving soul," Santana murmured lovingly. "And you always try to see the best in people. You're an eternal optimist."
"I do try," Rachel replied brightly. She decided it was her turn and she stared into Santana's eyes for a few seconds. "Your eyes are reluctant. Like if you let someone look into them for too long they'll see the real you." She paused. "They're also the slightest bit scared or nervous. Are you alright?" She'd only been playing around but she did see something in her girlfriend's eyes that troubled her.
Santana nodded. "I'm fine."
Rachel watched her for a moment and shook her head. "Something is on your mind."
Santana shrugged a shoulder, a heavy sigh falling from her lips. "My dad wants to have lunch with me."
"Can I veto this idea?" Rachel asked immediately.
Santana sat pensively for a few moments. "I know I shouldn't want to because he's a monumental ass, but he's still my dad."
"I understand," Rachel told her quietly. "It's the same with Shelby and myself."
"I guess it is," Santana realized. "Even though she never beat your ass for dropping her beer on the floor."
"No, but I can promise that her abandonment, not once but twice, has certainly left a scar that won't soon fade," Rachel admitted.
"So you don't think I should?" Santana asked.
Rachel shrugged, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. "I just would hate to see you get hurt. But I can certainly sympathize with your need to connect with a parent, even one with a less than stellar track record such as your dad."
"I thought we worked on you not speaking in paragraphs anymore," Santana mumbled, a ghost of a smile quirking her lips.
Rachel frowned. "I'm sorry. Thinking about you having lunch with someone that has been physically abusive to you in the past makes me nervous and I tend to revert back to my old ways when I'm nervous."
"Rach, it'll be fine," Santana assured her. "It's just lunch. As bad as he was back then I doubt he'll make a scene in a public place."
"I could come with you if you want," Rachel suggested tentatively.
Santana shook her head. "I'll be fine. I'll come over here before and after so you know I'm okay."
"Promise?" Rachel asked.
"Promise," Santana agreed.
XX
Rachel stepped out of Santana's car and gazed up at the huge building with a frown. Her face relaxed when she felt a warm hand slide into hers and give it a gentle tug.
"It's not that bad, Rach," Santana told her softly with a chuckle. "Come on."
"I hate this place," Rachel sighed.
"Why?" Santana laughed. "It's the mall. Most teenage girls love it here."
"Teenage girls with a mother or a sister or friends to tell her what kinds of things to buy," Rachel argued as she was pulled towards the doors. "Not girls like me who obviously had absolutely no idea what a fashion sense was."
"You were on to something with those skirts," Santana reminded her. "You have fantastic legs."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Sweet talking me won't get you what you want."
"Yes it will," Santana argued with a wink.
Rachel sighed, her head bobbing in a nod reluctantly. "I know."
"Come on," Santana coaxed gently. "We have to find something for Q."
The girls entered the mall and Rachel protested only half-heartedly when Santana pulled her into several clothing stores and bought her several items. They wandered around aimlessly for a while, not entirely sure what to get Quinn for a gift.
Santana was only half listening as Rachel went into a monologue about the food court when she suddenly felt the girl stiffen next to her. Her words cut off abruptly and she stopped dead in her tracks.
Santana turned to face her and when she saw the look on Rachel's face she frowned and followed her line of sight until she caught sight of Max walking…well, limping through the mall with a few of his football friends.
She turned back to Rachel and reached out for her, frowning deeper when Rachel flinched under her touch, meeting her gaze with wide, startled eyes.
"I'm sorry." Santana frowned but remained still.
Rachel shook her head, her eyes instantly seeking out the giant football player and she watched his form retreat further away from him.
"Rach, look at me," Santana ordered gently as she stood in front of the diva, moving her body into her girlfriend's line of sight. Her hands rested gently on Rachel's shoulders.
Rachel met her eyes and let out a breath. "Sorry."
"Are you alright?" Santana asked softly.
Rachel nodded. "What about a picture frame? We can get a digital one and put pictures of everyone from glee in it."
"I'm sure she'd love it," Santana told her with a frown. She knew Rachel was far more affected by the boy's presence than she was letting on, but didn't push since they were in the middle of the mall.
She was concerned about the smaller girl walking next to her. She seemed to be more shaken by the incident with the football player than she was letting on but she wasn't letting Santana in on it and that was the part that really had her worried.
The girls found the frame they were looking for and picked up a few more things from various shops at the mall. Rachel seemed to grow more quiet and pensive with each step she took and to fill the awkward void, Santana found herself talking more and more and by the time they reached the hospital, Santana felt like an idiot.
XX
Santana was still going on about several peoples' fashion disasters when she pushed Quinn's hospital room door open.
Quinn was in the room alone watching TV and she looked up with a grin when the two girls entered. "Hi."
"Hey, Q," Santana said with a brighter-than-usual smile. "You're all alone?"
Quinn found that Santana's smile alarmed her for reasons unknown. "Puck went home to get some rest and Mom went home to grab a shower."
"Hi," Rachel greeted softly. The second alarm bell went off in her head.
Santana immediately launched into telling Quinn about the fashion disasters at the mall as well as various gossipy things going on in the outside world.
Quinn watched the two girls carefully. It seemed that Santana was talking entirely too much and Rachel entirely too little.
"Hey, S?" Quinn asked, cutting the taller brunette off.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think you could swipe me some jello?" Quinn asked with a sly grin.
Santana nodded and kissed Rachel quickly. "Sure. I'll be right back."
Quinn smiled and waited until she was gone before turning to the other girl in the room with her. "Rachel, what's wrong?"
"What makes you think anything is wrong?" Rachel asked.
"You're hardly said three words since you guys got here and Santana has been talking my ear off since you walked in the door." Quinn gave her a warm smile. "What's going on?"
Rachel let out a shaky breath, her eyes falling to her hands. "We saw Max at the mall when we were shopping."
Quinn frowned. "Did Santana kill him?"
"No," Rachel replied with a shake of her head. Quinn waited for her to continue but she didn't.
"Are you okay?" Quinn asked.
Rachel nodded. "He's been out of school since it happened so I haven't seen him until today and the look he gave me led me to believe that whatever his problem is with me, it's not over, regardless of the fact that Noah beat him up."
"Maybe Santana needs to kick his ass," Quinn suggested.
"That's the thing," Rachel sighed. "I can't even talk to her about this without her going completely homicidal. I was more shaken than I care to admit when I saw him today and if I tell her she might literally kill him." She shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, I love how protective she is of me and you and Britt. And even Puck. Her protective side is one of the many things I love about her."
"But she can go overboard," Quinn supplied.
"A little." Rachel nodded.
"You should talk to her," Quinn suggested. "I'll listen if you want to talk to me, but either way she needs to know how you feel about Max and about how she tends to get a little overzealous."
Rachel nodded. "Thanks, Quinn."
Quinn gave her a warm smile and looked up when she heard the door swing open.
Santana strode in with three cups of jello and three plastic spoons. "Who rocks as much as me?" She handed one to each of the other girls and kept the third for herself.
"Apparently no one," Quinn answered with a smile, pulling the top off her treat and sampling it. "Thanks, S."
"No problem."
"So what else is going on?" Quinn asked.
Rachel remained quiet and glanced at her girlfriend, wondering if she would share the news about her father. She didn't have to wait long.
"My dad wants to have lunch with me." Santana kept her eyes trained on the end of the spoon that she was lightly stabbing into the jello repeatedly.
Quinn stared at her for a moment before shooting Rachel a concerned frown. "Are you going to go?"
The cheerleader raised a slim shoulder in a shrug, her lips pursing. "Is it bad that I want to?"
"Will you hate me if I say yes?" Quinn asked. "San, he was terrible to you."
"Your mom kicked you out, Q!" Santana pointed out. "You let her back into your life the minute she crawled back. How is it any different?"
"My mom never broke my arm grabbing me," Quinn shot back. "She never gave me a black eye for talking back."
"Shut the hell up about it," Santana nearly growled. "He's been sober for a year and he's trying."
"I'm not saying anything that isn't true," Quinn told her softly. "And I'm not saying any of this just to be a bitch. I worry about you and this whole idea makes me nervous."
"Yeah well I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself," Santana grumbled.
"Don't be pissed, S," Quinn told her, a hint of a smile on her lips. "It's only because I love you."
Santana rolled her eyes, a sigh huffing from her lips. "Whatever. Are you finished being mushy?"
"Yes."
"Good," Santana relented, her anger melting away as she sat on the end of the bed. Rachel settled into a chair next to the bed and the two of them filled Quinn in on everything that had been going on in the outside world without her.
XX
A.N. Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!