What you have to understand, is that Brittany saved her life. Her hard work and dedication saved Santana. And this is why, standing in front of this woman on the biggest day of their lives, she can't control her tears, or her love.
They're 27 now. It's been a lot of years since they started dating, and even more since they fell in love. What was once just a friendship blossomed to romance which lead to love and then later totally and uncontainable unconditional love for one another. There were times when one thought they wouldn't make it and there were times when neither did. But for better and for worse, they are standing here, in front of all their friends and family, ready to make a new start into the married life.
She was four years old when she met the love of her life. She knew this girl was special. She carried a certain glow around with her. It was almost as if you were drawn to her by some supernatural magical power. Santana had just moved to Lima approximately 4 hours ago. Her father had been offered a job in the new hospital they were building, and he thought it would be the perfect town to bring up his young family in. Santana had an older brother, Antonio, who she learned pretty much everything she knew from. Her house was directly across from the park, and she had been allowed to take a break from unpacking so long as she could always see her house wherever she went. She was sat in the sandpit watching this magic girl play with who she assumed was her younger sister, because they both had blonde hair and super long legs. She had listened in enough to find out that the magic girl was called Brittany, and the other girl Hayley, and that there was a mystery third person named Lord Tubbington. She'd need to remember to ask about that one. She was imagining what this person could possibly look like when Brittany came over and sat beside her.
"I see you looking at me and my sister and we want to know if you want to play cos well we don't have any other friends and it doesn't look like you do either and maybe do you want to be best friends?"
That was it. One sentence and the deal had been made. Best friends. And they stuck by it for the rest of their lives.
The ages of four to six were made up of sleepovers and learning everything there was to know about one another. Brittany learnt all about Santana's family. There was her mama and her papa, her brother Antonio, and her abula, who was her grandmother. And Santana learnt all about Brittany's family. About how her mom and dad we're both teachers and her sister was the girl next to her on the day that they met. She also found out that Lord Tubbington was in fact a cat who was addicted to smoking and gambling!
Then came seven, eight and nine, and with it dance classes, a new friend called Quinn, lots of spice girls and even more makeovers. Quinn was in their dance class and she was a very polite girl. That's what Mrs Lopez said, anyway. Santana's opinion was a bit different. She thought Quinn was a know-it-all who was trying to steal her best friend from her. Brittany liked Quinn. She was fun and Brittany liked to have fun.
Ten and eleven were calm. The calm before the storm. Or rather the calm before the first storm. They walked to school together every day, sat beside each other in class, played with each other at break times, and left school hand in hand. They went by Santana's house every day after school, whose parents were always working late. They would have the house to themselves because Antonio had football practise after school. They'd do their homework, with Santana helping Brittany with new math work or language work that she wasn't so sure of. Santana's parents had brought her and her brother up bilingually and this helped when it came to Spanish. Santana had Brittany way above the class level by this time and they often spoke in Spanish so that others in their class wouldn't know what they were talking about. They would build forts and make brownies and watch Disney movies and eat Cheetos. They were so content with each other. They would usually go to Brittany's for dinner, and Mrs Peirce always welcomed Santana with open arms. It was just normal for the two of them to never be apart by this time.
Twelve, thirteen and fourteen brought some really hard times. It brought Quinn asking them why they still slept in the same bed and showered together. It brought hard cheerios practices before school every morning. It brought it suddenly not being okay to hold hands in school without older boys asking them if they could join in. It brought questions and unknowns and a lot of tears. It brought boys trying to date the girls and it brought the confusion that this was what they were supposed to be doing. But at the end of the day, it brought the girls to realise that the only ones they could never be without was each other.
Fifteen and sixteen brought learning. Learning about each other, as well as learning about themselves. Learning how to hold Brittany's hand in public. Learning how to kiss each other, learning that Santana liked soft kisses and Brittany like rough, playful kisses. It brought learning how to explain to your parents that you were in love with a girl, and learning that it's okay to be in love with a girl. Learning how to be intimate with each other. But mainly, it brought learning that loving someone as much as they love you is the best feeling in the entire world.
Seventeen, eighteen and nineteen brought the hardest things any of them would have to face. Santana's brother was killed in action in Iraq. What many people didn't know about Santana was that although she put up a hard front, she was a very sensitive person. She loved her brother more than she even realised. She won't ever forget the day her mother told her what happened.
Santana was sitting on a bench in the park. Tears streaming down her face, her phone buzzing in her pocket and her body drenched with autumns rain. She had run for miles and she just couldn't take it anymore. Her lungs felt like they were going to give in and she felt like she was going to pass out. She collapsed on the bench and let the sobs take over her body. She couldn't get the words to stop playing over in her head. "Killed" "shot" "dead" "Antonio". She couldn't deal with this. He couldn't be dead.
Brittany sat down beside her what must have been hours later. It was dark now and the rain had stopped. She pulled your head into her lap and started stroking your hair. Please make it stop Brittany. You begged her. She started to cry with you and tell you how sorry she was and how much she loved you. Once you started to breathe again, she turned your face towards hers.
"I don't care how hard this is Santana, but we are going to get through this, do you understand me? You're brave, you're strong, and you're so special. I'm going to be with you every step of the way and I will not once leave your side or let you deal with this alone. You cannot push me away. Please, let me stay in and promise me you will let me help"
You let her take your hand and drive you both back to her house. She showered you, washed your hair, and got you into pyjamas and into her bed. It wasn't until late into the night when you realised you hadn't even answered her. You could tell she was still wide awake even though it was well past 2am because her hands had been tracing the letters I-L-O-V-E-Y-O-U on your back for at least an hour. You turned round, took her hands, looked her in the eyes and said "I promise".
And that's how those years went by. Brittany was always there when Santana broke down. Always there on the anniversary. Always there to hold her hand when the subject came up. Always there to run off into the night to find her. Always there to hold her when she cried. Always there to love her, truly.
After a long, hard and tiring two years, it was a Wednesday afternoon when Santana came up with a master plan. She had been slowly piercing her life back together after losing her brother and she really felt it was time to move on. She'll always love him, but now it was time. She felt ready. Brittany was taking dance classes at the local college, and on weekends she had her own classes to teach. Santana was also attending community college, taking a few classes, but she did really well in school so she had applied to New York University School of Law. She hadn't told Brittany she had applied for this because she wanted to surprise her. Brittany's classes were finishing for the year in a few months and it was a perfect time for them to move on. She still couldn't help shaking like a leaf as she walked up to the door of Brittany's house with her acceptance letter in hand and ready to, if she could get the words out, ask her girlfriend to move to New York with her.
She knocked on the door and walked herself inside and up to Brittany's room. She had to just go in and say it and get it out there. She couldn't think straight. She had the speech prepared yet she knew as soon as she opened her mouth she would forget every word of it and mumble a lot of jumble.
"So I know your classes finish in a few months and I applied for NYU last minute and I kind of just got an acceptance letter and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to give this a go, we could get a small apartment, nothing too big just enough space for us and Lord Tubbington but only if you want to and you could apply to college through there or you could work there are so many places in New York you could dance and god I need to stop talking what do you think?"
Brittany screamed, threw her arms around Santana and spun her till she got dizzy and they landed on the floor. They spent the night there and for years it was Santana's favourite time they were together.
Their first year in New York was indescribable. They were so high on life. They were young, in love, and in the most fantastic city they could dream of. Everything was perfect. Santana started her four year Law degree and Brittany took up classes in physiotherapy, but only part time, and she managed to score a part in an off-Broadway show three nights a week. They were happy. They had date nights on Friday still, without fail, and this helped them continue to work so well together.
It was on one of these date nights, when they were 25, that Santana asked Brittany to marry her. Santana had graduated, with a first class honours degree, and had just started working for a small law firm in the city. Brittany was now a fully trained physiotherapist, and she worked for a company who specialised in children's sports injury. She loved working with the kids and they were always so happy and excited to see her too. She was starting to set things into motion for opening up her own place. She had found the perfect space; it had 2 rooms for teaching dance classes and 2 smaller rooms where she could do her physiotherapy. Santana had suggested she called up their old friend Mike from High School because she's sure she remembered Quinn saying that Rachel had told her that he was still dancing. Things were looking good for the girls. Sadly, Lord Tubbington wasn't around anymore, he passed away a few years ago, so they has a playful kitten who Brittany had named Lady Tubsy.
Santana had bought the ring 3 weeks ago with Quinn and Rachel. Just like when she first saw Brittany, when she first saw this ring she knew it was perfect. It was beautiful, so simple and so elegant. Brittany finished work at 7 and headed home, knowing tonight was date night and excited because Santana had said it was a surprise. She entered their apartment and was met by her girlfriend looking breathtakingly stunning; in a tight red dress, with red heels and her hair in long, loose curls. Santana looked at the love of her life, flustered from a busy day and looking as sweet and innocent as she usually did. She planned to change that soon, of course. They met each other with a soft, loving kiss which turned into a more heated one as Santana pushed Brittany against the door she had just walked in. They sighed and looked at each other, the love they shared for each other evident in their eyes.
Santana had prepared a candlelit dinner for them and then took Brittany for a walk in the city. It was almost December: the snow falling lightly around them as they sat down at a bench overlooking the open air ice rink in central park. Santana new now was the time, and she began to talk from her heart.
"Brittany, from the moment I met you when we were four years old I knew there was something special, magical even, about you. You looked after me when I was a shy, scared girl in a new town, and I hoped I repaid you by looking after you as we grew up and moved from grade to grade. It's always been you. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you, and I know for a fact that I won't. We grew up together and I couldn't have asked for a better best friend, girlfriend, or love of my life. I know for a fact I wouldn't have survived my teenage years if you weren't there by my side. I was sad, lonely, confused and heartbroken over Antonio and if you hadn't guided me through that time, found me every time I ran away, drove me to therapy each week, held me in your arms each night, or told me we could get through it, then I wouldn't have been able to. I owe my life to you, and I will never forget it. Our time in New York has been the happiest time of my life. I have an amazing job and I get to come home every day to you and I am so happy, Brittany. Nothing in my life could be more perfect. Would you please do me the honour of marrying me?"
Two years of planning; two years of solving crime cases, of running a dance studio, of being the best psysio in town, and two years of falling more and more in love with each other as the days turned into weeks and months until finally, the day was here. The chairs, marquee and buffet were set up. Mr and Mrs Piece and Mr and Mrs Lopez were sat proudly on the first row. Rachel and Quinn rushing about making sure that their maid of honour duties were done and everything was perfect for the blissful couple. They made their way down the aisle before Brittany started her speech.
"Santana, you amaze me. Your courage, your strength and your bravery are just a few of the small things that I love about you. I know you think that you wouldn't have made it here without me, but all the hard work you've put in over the years has all been you. You saved yourself, and I was just there to make sure you did it. Antonio would be the proudest big brother in the world if he was here and I know he is looking down on you today watching over you. I'm so proud of you for overcoming all of your fears and insecurities and I have no idea what my life would be like if you weren't in it. I simply couldn't continue without you to guide me. You make me who I am and you complete me. I cannot wait to start our next adventure together. I love you with everything I am, and everything that I will ever be."
And that's it. That's how Brittany S Peirce and Santana Lopez made it to a ceremony on a California beach where they had just been legally wed with Brittany expecting their first of many children.