Taking the Long Way

Santana's journey toward self-acceptance through love, loss, friends, career and family. Several new characters introduced, including a new love interest. Contains Glee history through "Original Song." All couplings canon. The story begins with SamTana and the Brittana / Bartie triangle and progresses from there.

(In case you've forgotten what happens up through "Original Song," we've had Hurt Locker and Dirt Locker, but NOT Shirt Locker, Frozen Dessert Locker, Revert Locker or Heart Locker.)

Rated M for language and sex – lots of it throughout the story, though always plot-based or for intended character development.

Disclaimers: I don't own Glee or any of the Glee characters, but I do own my OCs. Give the OCs a chance - many readers have commented that they're actually not half bad :)

Title taken from the Dixie Chicks' song "The Long Way Around."

Chapter One: Breathe

Chapter title song: "Breathe" by Anna Nalick

Year: 2022

Santana gripped the steering wheel of her SUV so hard her knuckles were white. She leaned on the horn. Traffic was standing completely still, and the woman in the passenger seat was panting and sweating. Santana felt she was panting and sweating too, at least on the inside. She turned the air conditioning up as high as it would go, even though it was only March. What if we don't make it in time? What if something goes wrong?

Just breathe, she thought. Remember to breathe.

"Santana, is there any other way to get there?" she heard, as she wondered the same thing. "There's got to be a way around this mess."

Santana racked her brain. And then it hit her. There was another way. If she backtracked a mile or so, there was a scenic route over the hill and past the reservoir that would take them around the perimeter of the city to their destination. There surely wouldn't be any traffic on that road.

"Yeah, there is. It's a little longer though. Is that ok?" she asked.

"Sometimes the longer way is better."

Through her panic, Santana smiled. She turned the steering wheel sharply, making an illegal U-turn, and sped down the road in the opposite direction. She took the woman's hand in hers and squeezed.

Yes, she smiled to herself, Sometimes the longer way is better.