Author's Note: Feeling no Inspiration from Glee, instead got some watching the Oscar Worthy performances in Les Mes recently and then I got a Brittana story that I couldn't get rid of, read check it out and let me know if you like it/ want to see some more of it.

Brittany watches the young Rondeau boys as they play around a stalled horse carriage. They duck under axels and between working men who do their best to dodge the children as they pack luggage and groceries into the back of the carriage.

She watches as they jump over the puddles of muddy water that line the road. Brittany cringes at their bravado, especially when they wear such elaborate coats of red satin and white lace.

She couldn't ever imagine wearing clothes as nice as that and she knows for sure she wouldn't likely go near a puddle and she sure wouldn't be jumping in them.

"It's ridiculous, isn't it?" Santana says as she slips in next to Brittany, she brushing her elbow gently against Brittany's as she always does in a sign of silent greeting before she crosses her arm. "Even one of those little bastards' outfits could feed both our families for weeks."

Brittany can only shrug in response. She doesn't really care to spend her energy hating the rich for the things they have even if they are the things she wants or needs.

She knows that sometimes certain people can't afford certain things and she really doesn't need the lace or the silk or the other fancy fabrics the wealthy and their children wear but part of her believes Santana is right. All that fabric would buy enough bread and meat to last both of their families into the next month if they rationed it all appropriately.

She eyes the food being placed on the back of the carriage she wonders if its meals for a long trip or just treats to bring to an already stockpiled home. This family has all the things she will never have. Food, comfort, fancy clothing and she can't help the little pang of jealous she feels in her chest.

The workers and the children step inside the large red doors and disappear with a loud clang. The noise that filled the square has gone and the carriage and its horses are left empty for the time being. Brittany's eyes turn to Santana before she looks back at the carriage and all the food that is just sitting there. She begins to wonder if the wealthy that live here are just as careless with their supplies as they are with their clothing.

Maybe they won't even notice if a loaf of bread has gone missing?

It feels like its too easy. It feels like God is testing them both and she really isn't sure what she's supposed to do. She feels her stomach grumble even at the thought of having more food and she realizes she can't remember the last time she had eaten a truly hearty meal.

Times had gotten tough ever since the government took everything away. Her mother did what she could to bring in money into the family and Brittany was doing her best to collect earnings doing odd jobs around the town.

She would do anything for anyone and accept almost anything in return, soap, rice, coins, socks and sometimes, as with old Mr. Thomas she didn't accept anything at all.

Santana has already stepped three strides closer towards the carriage before Brittany can thing anymore about it. She lunges forward to stop Santana in her tracks.

She wraps her fingers around the bone thin bicep and the light pressure is enough to stop Santana and bring her gaze up to Brittany's face.

"You can't." Brittany says. She knows what Santana is thinking. She's always know what Santana's thinking.

"Not the whole thing." Santana says. She can't take her eyes off the long loaf of bread poking its way out of the defenseless basket.

"What if someone sees?" Brittany says. Her brain is desperate to stop Santana but her stomach is desperate to taste that food.

Santana looks around the courtyard with a dramatic flourish of her eyes before pulls her arm from Brittany's light grasp and takes another step forward. "There's not a soul around."

Brittany plants her feet in protest and in fear and watches as Santana creeps, cat-like until she's next to the basket hanging on the back of the carriage.

She wraps her hand around the bread and pulls in into her arms just as the big red doors swing open with a loud crash, an eruption of noise escapes back into the courtyard like the lid of a jar had been removed and Santana is caught like a deer in headlights.

Food is too precious to abandon. Not when it's this close, not when you haven't held this much food in months and not when you can already feel its texture on your tongue.

Three men study Santana carefully before they bellow for the inspector and shout accusations of thievery. Santana doesn't wait to see if the Inspector can hear her calls. Santana takes off at a full sprint, she yanks Brittany's arm as she runs by and Brittany finds herself easily falling in pace with Santana. Her long legs have always made her faster.

Brittany has little hope that they can actually escape, she can hear the heavy footfalls behind them. They are so close she doesn't dare look over her shoulder. The police are right behind them, she can practically feel their breath on her neck.

Brittany swallows the lump in her throat just when she begins to lose her footing against the soft ground. It's Santana that grabs her and steadies her as she continues on in full stride. It takes Brittany a couple of more staggered strides before she's pulling back into motion.

She can't regain her form for long because Santana is yanking her down a narrow alleyway Santana pulls so forcefully so abruptly that Brittany feels herself stumbling again. She regains her balance on her own.

She can still hear the heavy footfalls and the labored panting of the inspectors hot on their heels as they weave their way around filth and trash that has accumulated between the houses.

They reach a familiar door and Brittany recognizes it as the storage closet for the local inn. It is filled with nothing but tools and old supplies and she knows what this means. It means that Santana has lead them down a deadend.

Santana looks back at Brittany and mutters an apology even though she doesn't need to. Brittany can already see the anguish in Santana's eyes. Brittany knows the punish meant for stealing, especially from someone of such high standing as Mr. Rondeau, is severe. They are both young but that hadn't stopped the courts from giving out decade long sentences before this.

Brittany looks back down the narrow alleyway and knows that she only had minutes to react. She doesn't know how far behind those inspectors were but she knows that there's still a chance that one of them could get away front this.

She jimmy rigs the lock to the storage room with a practiced ease. Santana and Brittany had spent so many days of their childhood tucked away with the tools and old machinery, hidden away from the teasing boys and the rumblings of their stomachs that she's pretty sure she still goes their in her dreams. But the shed isn't big enough for the both of them anymore.

Brittany yanks the loaf from Santana and shoves her inside the door, shutting it and locking it before Santana can react.

"They always return tools before dusk." Brittany calls over Santana's shouts. "You won't be locked in there for long."

"Brittany." Santana begs and it almost breaks Brittany's heart in two to hear the pain in Santana's voice.

"They treat people like you differently than people like me." Brittany lays her forehead against the door. She knows she's running out of time but she doesn't think she'll get to say anything she's been meaning to say. "And one of us needs to stay behind and take care of our families." She whispers through the door. Santana's protests have stopped and she knows that Santana is listening now and her silence means she's in agreement even if she wishes she wasn't.

"I'll come back." Brittany whispers through the door.

Brittany has heard about what its like to go to prison, she's heard stories about prisoners that die long before their sentence is over and she knows how empty that promise is. She knows she can't expect Santana to wait but she can't stop herself hoping that she still will.

"I'm sorry." Santana's says so quietly that Brittany isn't even sure she said it but then Santana repeats herself and she knows that its true.

"It's not your fault." Brittany says because it's true. She could blame the nobles for being so careless with their food. Tempting them with their riches and their delicacies. She could blame the government for abandoning the poor, she could blame the king, there are so many, much more important people to blame but she doesn't waste her breath because she's here right now and no amount of blaming and anger will take her away from it all.

"There you are." A callous voice calls through the end of the alley and Brittany turns on her heels, her palms press up defensively against the door and she almost feels like she can feel Santana's warmth there.

The man steps forward. Brittany feels like his height and his uniform should be intimidating but she feels herself standing taller and prouder in front of him.

The man lets out a huff of a laugh before he yanks Brittany hard by the arm, almost ripping it clean from its socket. Brittany swallows the yelp of pain that threatens to escape her lips.

"You're going to be gone for a long time." He says as he pulls Brittany away from the alley.

She glances back at the door before she beings to walk in step alongside Inspector Hudson.

"I love you." She whispers too quietly for anyone to hear and too late for it to even matter.