Updated spoiler-situation: now contains spoilers up to S03E10, Yes/No. I should also add a trigger warning about non-explicit mentions of drug-use.

A/N: Okay, hi. So I realize it's been about three months since my last update and I'm sorry. But when you're working on something as slow and lengthy as this (I've been writing Karma for almost two years) ups and downs are obviously present, and I've had to write on another story just to rinse my thoughts and plans for Karma. I'm sorry either way, I never meant to have you all waiting. So if anyone still actually reads this story, here you go:

They had only been back in school for a few days after Christmas break when Santana found herself in Sue Sylvester's office, unable to stop staring at her coach.

She had been shocked by the coach before – at one point the woman had tried to shoot Brittany out of a cannon, so Santana had learned her lesson to never underestimate the power of Sue Sylvester, and how random she could be. Even so, she had never found anything Sue said as hard to believe as this.

There were a few seconds of silence before Santana managed to get her thoughts together again and broke the quiet with a hoarse, "What? How did you even-"

"Well, thanks for asking, fake boobs. Like all the musically brainwashed losers in that cesspool you call glee club, you want to go to New York. And like all said losers in said cesspool, you want to study music."

Sue leaned back in her chair, smiled contently and stretched her arms. Once again it took Santana a moment to muster up enough focus to able to answer.

"You just assumed that I wanted to study classical music in New York?"

"I also have eyes everywhere."

"Not even you have a camera in my house," Santana said somewhat nervously, as if saying it out loud made it pretty obvious that she might actually have.

"No. But I do have Porcelain in your house, and seeing as he has both eyes and a soft spot for me, I'd say he makes a decent substitute."

"Kurt told you I wanted to go The New School and you what, pushed the deadlines with like a month and just made a scholarship show up out of thin air?"

Sue huffed, clearly offended.

"Well, I did call in a favor from the Senate, had Olivia Newton-John start a petition, produced a video with a sob story speech about how society very much let down the teenage lesbian minority Latina that would have become a viral phenomenon had my blackmailing not worked out. It also involved an unbelievable amount of money, but if you don't want to give me more credit than that, then fine, go ahead."

Santana was quiet for a second before taking a breath.

"They've never even seen me perform, how could they possibly -"

"Please," Sue said and rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you don't think none of those absurd little shows that glee club puts on in the auditorium have never been video-taped. I told them you were smart, do I have to redo the application?"

"Sue, this can't be legal –"

"Neither is kicking a minor out of the house," Sue cut her off and leaned in over the desk. "Just take it, Santana."

"Are you actually serious? You got me accepted to classical music at The New School?"

"And also got you a scholarship, did you not hear me the first time?"

Santana swallowed down hard, stood up, and gave Sue a hug.

"I... Thank you."

"Go be someone."

She literally had no idea what to do with the information that she was going to college in New York. Her first thought was, ironically, that she should tell Rachel, because she couldn't think of anyone else that would understand the magnitude of it as well. But then the illegality of it struck Santana again and she realized that this was not, however tempting it was, something she could just go around telling people.

But she had to tell Brittany. And Kurt, and Carole, and Burt, even Finn. And then Quinn, and Rachel was a must no matter what, and the glee club sort of did have the right to know and then, well, there weren't exactly too many others she'd even want to tell after that, and that brought the train of thoughts right back to square one.

So after having spent all of fourth period staring into the whiteboard, Santana grabbed a hold of Kurt in the line to the cafeteria.

"Come on, I have to talk to you."

"But-"

"You don't even like meatballs. We'll get a sandwich or something, just come on."

She told him the news sitting on the benches over at the football field.

"But that's fantastic news," Kurt exclaimed happily, his cheeks rosy. "Why so…?"

"Kurt, do you even realize how legally doubtful this is? I can't tell people or I'll lose it."

"Oh come on. You don't have to tell everyone, just tell the family and Brittany and glee club. They won't mind!"

"Yes, because Rachel Berry would never mind me sort of not completely legally getting into a music program in New York City."

"She's not even applying there. Look, just… don't tell them 'Sue blackmailed my way into The New School.' Say you got in, early admissions, special consideration due to your situation and everyone will just be happy for you. It's not even a lie!"

Also involved in the plan she and Kurt struck up was to tell the rest of the family over dinner that night. Those plans were immediately overturned when Finn, Carole, and Burt met them in the school parking lot after Santana's cheerleading practice and Kurt's study session in the library.

She spotted them immediately when she and Kurt walked down the few steps in the stairs and she stopped in the middle of a rant about Mr. Schues' surprise proposal plans. There was Carole in her red coat, Burt in his usual cap, and several yards away, Finn.

"What the hell," Santana said slowly as she reached out to tap Kurt's arm to draw his attention.

Kurt's reaction was immediate and scared Santana. Without a warning he set off running, his face completely drained of color, and Santana set off after him as quickly as she could.

"What's wrong?" Kurt panted, terrified. "What's happened?"

And then, somewhere in Santana's head, it clicked. His mother was dead and his father had a heart attack the year prior, of course his default setting is catastrophe.

"Nothing's happened," Burt said with steadying hands on Kurt's shoulders as soon as he reached them, but that somehow triggered Finn.

"What do you mean nothing's happened? Everything's happened!"

The yell was raw, verging on insane, and took them all completely by surprise.

"Calm down, Finn, you know I didn't mean it like –"

"I don't care what you mean, I just-"

"Finn!" Santana shouted, her hands on the straps of her backpack, and everyone stilled. "Let's not have another fight in public, okay?"

Finn looked at her for a few seconds, breathing heavily and looking straight into her eyes, before he gave her a quick nod and drew in a small breath.

"Why don't I drive you in the Navigator and Burt and Carole take Kurt in their car," she said. Kurt quietly handed her the keys, and Burt pulled Carole into a half embrace before they headed over to their car.

Dinner was both intense and, above all, tense. Bit by bit the story of Finn's father unfolded, not very chronologically and not very put together. But in the end, both Kurt and Santana pretty much got the picture even though they were both dead silent for the most part of dinner, watching the family war taking place.

But it was not until Finn yelled, "You know what, this doesn't change anything! I'm still joining!" and kicked over his chair on his way up to his room that Santana really reacted.

"Wait, joining what?" she asked the rest of the table, who were all staring miserably after Finn.

"Yes," Kurt chimed in anxiously, "joining what?"

"The army," Carole said, expressionless. Kurt looked completely taken aback, but Santana instantly stood up and ran after Finn. He slammed the door shut to his bedroom a few seconds before she reached it, but there were no locks in the Hudson-Hummel house and Santana found she had a sudden lack of respect for privacy as she – a bit violently – pushed the door open.

"Don't fucking join the army, okay?"

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"Okay, let me break it down for you. You're not cut out for the army. For one, you have terrible coordination. You wouldn't last a week before you shot yourself in the leg or something."

"Why do you always have to be so mean? You're such a bitch, Santana!"

"Is everyone idiots?" Santana exclaimed, half moaning, half laughing. "Why can't anyone tell apart when I'm being mean and when I'm telling the truth? This is not me being mean, Finn."

She paused slightly, and was surprised that Finn didn't take the opportunity to yell at her again.

"Me calling you fat and making whale jokes, that's me being mean. Me telling you not to risk your life in what would be the mistake of a lifetime, that's me telling the truth."

"Yeah, well, like I said, you can't tell me what to do!"

"Maybe not, but I can tell you that you're being an idiot if you really think this is a good idea. Why would you even want to join in the first place?"

Finn didn't answer straight away, but glanced over to the framed picture of his father on his desk.

"My father."

Santana stayed quiet and watched Finn sink down to sit on his bed.

"I just found out my father didn't die in the war. He died of a drug overdose in Cincinnati. So you know what, excuse me if I'm freaking out and I'm sorry if me joining the army doesn't suit you or whatever, but maybe this is something I need to do. To honor him or, just… I need to…"

Finn fell quiet, and Santana waited for a moment before she spoke again, softer this time.

"One thing I've learned this past year, Finn, is this: don't ever do shit just because of your parents."

Finn looked up at her.

"Easy for you to say," he mumbled. "Yours aren't-"

"Finn, my parents kicked me out, stopped loving me, and flat out abandoned me. Don't ever do shit because of your parents, do shit because of you."

She turned around and took the few steps back out the door.

"Just don't join the army," she said with a firm look before she closed the door and went back downstairs to dinner.