Dani's Song:
A/N: Hi guys! It's been a while. I've had half of this fic on my computer for months now and decided to finish it and release it to the fangirls! :D I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Mary's Song (Oh My My My)' – that's Taylor Swift's or the characters from the TV show Glee, because lesbihonest, there would be a lot more lesbians if I did.
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"SANTANA!" a 7 year old Dani shouted across the yard "Where are you?"
The young brunette's head popped up from behind a bush to Dani's left and her face turned to a scowl "it's hide and seek! You're supposed to come and find me, not call me."
The other girl shook with laughter "Yes, well now I found you so you better run!" she leapt and made for the other girl who was already climbing the tree at the end of the garden. She climbed into the new tree house with ease.
Dani made it to the top and the two started laughing at one another. "You have stuff in your hair" Dani said, picking the leaves out and smiling at her friend. "A daisy too. I like them, they're cheerfull" she handed Santana the flower and blushed slightly.
The two then spent the next two hours playing with dolls, telling stories and drawing pictures on the wall of the treehouse.
"...she says she loves him" Santana was saying, "and that he could be my new dad. I don't want a new dad."
"You said he likes football. You like football. Maybe talk to him about that" Dani shrugged. The two were silent for a moment, just lying on the floor of the treehouse before Dani asked "Do you think Kurt Hummel would be a good dad? My mom says she wants us to get married" she scrunched up her face in disgust at the thought.
"I'm pretty sure he's a girl" the blonde smacked the 9 year old's arm, "What? He acts like one."
"Don't be mean"
"You can't get married now anyway. What would I do then? You're my best friend" Santana said sadly.
The younger blonde shot up and looked down to her friend and exclaimed, "Anything you do, you can do with me! We should get married" Santana sat up and smiled, "Not now, like when we're old – like 20 or something"
The other girl nodded excitedly, "Yeah! And who needs a boy? They're ew anyway." She grabbed a pen and handed it to Dani. "engrave it in the wall. We'll be happy forever!"
Dani grabbed the pen and scratched in:
'Dani and Tana will get married because we love each other and are happy and boys are ew.'
The older girl looked over her shoulder at the words and smiled "you're so smart Dani"
"Pinky promise that we'll be together forever!" the little blonde said as she turned around and held out her little finger.
The older girl smiled and took it in her own and agreed. "I promise."
"Well, if we're gonna get married then you're going to have to kiss me" Dani said smugly.
Santana knew she was bluffing and leaned in "Ok" she closed her eyes and puckered her lips, while Dani's eyes grew wide and she fell back before climbing down the ladder, leaving Santana alone in the treehouse laughing.
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5 years later...
"SANTANA!" Mrs Lopez called from the living room.
"What ma?" The snarky 14 year old returned.
Santana's mom entered her room "Dani's here and I want you to go see her" she said sternly.
The girl groaned, "Mom, I'm practicing for Cheerios tryouts on Monday. Can't you tell her I'm doing my homework?"
"Absolutely not. You've bailed on her every day this week and I'm not having it anymore. She's your friend."
"She's annoying is what she is" Santana muttered under her breath. That got her the look. You know that 'Mom Look' that makes you do absolutely anything for fear of your own life ending prematurely. "FINE. I'll go for like 10 minutes."
She stormed down the stairs and out of the front door, past Dani, who smiled and waved back at Santana's mom "Thanks Mrs Lopez. Hey Tana, wait up" she called.
Santana was already climbing up the ladder into the treehouse, closely followed by her companion, sighed when she reached the top and pulled out her phone, "Do you get reception up here?" and – without waiting for an answer – she dropped onto the carpet and buried her nose in her phone.
Dani's smile faltered but she still wanted to have fun, "Whatcha doing?" she asked happily, getting an incoherent grunt in reply.
An awkward silence fell, lasting a few moments before Dani asked another question, "So what do you wanna do today?" she grinned at her friend and eagerly awaited a response.
Santana still didn't look up and shrugged, "Whatever"
Another awkward silence.
Dani was starting to get antsy when she noticed the pair's inscription on the wall beside her and giggled, "Hey Tana. Hey, remember this?" She asked, pointing it out.
Santana's eyes looked up and then rolled, "Yeah. It was gay and stupid."
Dani was taken aback "Well... I don't think it is... it's kinda a joke between friends, right?" she said hopefully.
Santana looked up and said angrily, "We are not friends, Dani. I just came here so I could get my mom off my back, ok?"
A tearful Dani looked down and said in a small voice, "I thought we were friends..."
"Well we're not. I'm in High School now. We were friends, yeah. But that was years ago, but now I'm growing up and you're just the little girl next door! So quit bugging me, ok!?" Santana picked up her phone and stormed out the door and down the ladder, leaving Dani alone in the treehouse with silent tears streaming down her rosy cheeks.
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3 years later...
"SANTANA!" Mrs Lopez cried. "THE GARBAGE ISN'T GOING TO TAKE OUT ITSELF"
Santana closed her eyes and took a deep breath 'one more year' she thought 'one more year and you'll be out of here.' She hopped down the stairs, collected the garbage bags and ran outside, eager to return and work on her Glee Club assignment this week.
As she put the lid on the bin and spun around, Santana's eyes fell on the neighbours' house. It had been 4 years since her and Dani had spoken properly. Sure, there were some 'Hey, how are you?'s every now and then, and it's not like they completely ignored each other at school. It's not like they could. Santana became head cheerleader and Dani was the best player on the lacrosse team and Drama Club Superstar. They'd be the perfect couple – that is if lame ass TV shows and cheesy chick flicks were anything to go by.
Shaking those thoughts out of her head, Santana secured the trash and looked up to see Dani and a group of her friends coming up the street. It was the first time in a while that Santana had ever really looked at Dani, and boy was she gorgeous. Her hair fell perfectly onto her face and shoulders and she looked so hot in tight black jeans and a leather jacket. And that smile...her dark eyes crinkled at the corners and her face lit up beautifully. It only occurred to Santana that she might look a bit like a creeper when Dani's eyes met hers and she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a wave.
Lifting her arm to wave, but feeling awkward doing so, Santana composed herself and made her way back into the house.
Santana couldn't stop thinking about this girl for the rest of the day (AND may or may not have peeked out of her window opposite Dani's to see the girl dancing around her bedroom to Taylor Swift's latest hit later on in the evening). She made a promise to hersef to clear the air between them, so that's what she did.
After school the next day, Santana went around to knock on Dani's door and waited nervously for her to answer. Mrs Torres, Dani's mom, was the one to answer the door and frowned slightly at her visitor.
"Santana? What a pleasant surprise!" she pulled the girl in for a hug. "What can I do for you?"
"Good afternoon Mrs Torres. Is Dani home?"
"I'm afraid not, she said she'd be back in about five minutes though. Would you like to come in?"she said, moving back to let Santana through. However, she declined, saying that she'd rather wait outside and revisit the old treehouse again. Dani's mom laughed "You too did used to love it up there didn't you? I'll tell her where you are"
Santana thanked the older woman and made her way to the old tree. She eyed the rickety ladder before cautiously climbing them. Once inside she dusted herself off and surveyed the room. Nothing had changed in all the years. A few of the toy boxes she remembered were missing and the floor and chairs had a layer of dust over them but other than that the room hadn't changed in the slightest.
Santana smiled as her eyes caught the old drawings of her and Dani, faded over time, holding hands and documenting their favourite days together as kids. She ran her hand over the wall, lost in nostalgia, before she heard a light giggle from behind her.
"Not quite Picasso was I?"
She spun around and saw the beautiful blonde leaning against the wall with her arms folded, her eyes creased in a smile that bared her teeth. She walked toward the brunette and continued.
"You were always better with your hands than I was anyway" Dani paused and looked up at Santana. "Hey"
"Hi." Santana responded dumbly.
Dani looked at the older girl expectantly, "Can I help you, Tana?"
The use of her old nickname shocked Santana somewhat, "I was thinking that we haven't spoken much in while and I wanted to know how you were doing."
"Well, my mom packed us some late lunch..." Dani started and gestured to the sandwiches on the table behind her.
"Are those peanut butter and Jelly?"
"Why of course! Only the best for the best" Dani winked. She moved to unfold a grey blanket beside the plates and sat on the floor. "Coming?" she asked.
Pretty soon the two sat chatting and laughing like they were 9 again. Joking like no time had passed them and (as they always did) ended up lying beside each other, holding hands and enjoying the company of each other.
Santana sighed, "It feels just like old times, doesn't it?"
Dani laughed softly, rubbing her thumb over the back of Santana's hand "Only now we're talking about actual important, mature things, not whether Kurt Hummel is a girl or not"
"Hey, I was half-right. He likes boys like a girl."
The blonde clicked her tongue "Dammit so I don't have a groom." she sighed sarcastically, then sat up and leaned over the taller girl to point at the wall beside her "Although... according to that I still have you" she bumped her shoulder to Santana's and bit her lip to keep from smiling.
"Well, we are still happy." The brunette smiled to try and hide her blush with the other girl in such close proximity.
"And boys are still ew" Dani lay back down.
"Ugh, tell me about it"
The younger girl frowned, "I thought you were dating Noah Puckerman?"
Santana shrugged, "Yeah, no... That was never a real relationship. Besides I ended it months ago"
Dani nodded and hummed her approval before she looked outside, gasping slightly "Shoot! It's gone dark already" she hopped up and held her hands out for Santana to take, "I guess time flies when you're having fun, right?" she winked as she pulled the other girl up and they stood still for a moment, their hands still intwined.
They both felt a wave of electricity shoot through them and Dani's gaze fell to Santana's lips, pulling the other girl towards her she leaned up and pressed a lingering peck to her lips.
The blonde smiled, "I'll see you around"
And then she spun around and climbed down the ladder. Leaving left Santana alone in the treehouse to squeal with glee and shock.
XXXXXX
"SANTANA!" Dani gasped as her girlfriend splashed the lake water in her face for the umpteenth time that day - the two were at a Quinn Fabray's birthday party down by the lake on the outskirts of Lima - She spun around and glared at the girl. "I'm gonna get you!"
Santana squealed as the blonde spun around and pounced on her, water flying high as the two wrestled. The brunette broke free of her girlfriend's clutches and ran up the bank and into the cover f the trees, knowing full well that the reptitive thump behind her was Dani's feet chasing her.
Once hidded by the trees, Santana spun around and brushed the wet hair from Dani's face and cupped her cheek, leaning in to peck her lips – but Dani pulled away hastily. "Not here babe. We're in public."
The older girl groaned as she pulled away "Really Dan? There's nobody here?"
"We can't risk getting caught, Tana-"
"No, YOU can't risk getting caught. I don't mind! I want people to know that I'm with you!" Santana's voice rose as she spoke
"And I'm proud to be with you too, but you know how my parents are!" Dani said tearfully, turning her face away from Santana. After a pause she asked, "Can you just drive me home?"
The older girl sighed and nodded. She walked passed her girlfriend, out of the trees and hopped into her truck without saying goodbye to anyone else. Soon she was joined by Dani. She started the engine and drove the girl home in silence.
Cutting the car off outside Dani's house, Santana turned to the blonde "Can we at least talk about this?"
Dani got out of the car, "What is there left to talk about?" she slammed the door shut and strode briskly up the driveway.
Santana angrily followed suit and called after her "Danielle Mitchie Torres, you get back here NOW or I swear to God-"
"What? What Santana?" Dani spun around, met the other girl's livid stare and lowered her voice, "We've talked about this. You're ready and I'm not so-?"
"No! Shh!" she put a finger to her girlfriend's lips to halt the sentence she knew was coming out of her mouth She grabbed Dani's hand and pulled her to the treehouse. "We are talking about this."
"The treehouse? Really Santana?" Dani asked with narrowed eyes.
"Unless you want your parents to listen to our little chat?" Santana replied quietly.
Dani closed her mouth then reluctantly climbed up into the treehouse. She leant against the wall, waiting for Santana to get up.
"Yes?" she asked with raised eyebrows as her girlfriend arrived.
The brunette rolled her eyes then sighed, "Look baby, I love you. And I know you love me too. I don't see us ever breaking up so we're going to have to come out to everybody sooner or later." she softly ran her hand over Dani's cheek and pulled her chin up, "You're parents are conventional and I understand the hesitation... but we've been together for a year. How much longer can we wait? Soon people are going to start finding out and would you rather you're family find out through the grapevine or from us?"
Dani shyly grabbed Santana's hand and looked up at her through her eyelashes "I like the way you say 'us'" she said in a small voice.
Santana huffed and rolled her eyes playfully, pulling the younger girl into an embrace, "that's all you got from that?"
"No, I heard it all... Thank you 'Tana." she pushed her nose into the older girl's neck and sighed. "It has to be done doesn't it?"
"Yeah" Santana agreed as she rubbed her girlfriend's back.
"Then," Dani pulled back and grabbed the brunette's hand, "we have no time to waste. C'mon, my dad will be home too."
"What? Now?"
"There's no time like the present!" Dani said, hoping with all her heart that this wave of confidence goes nowhere in the next 10 minutes. She pulled the other girl toward the door and climbed down the ladder quickly. "Come, Santana"
"I'm coming!" Santana returned, leaving the house feeling excited and happier than she had ever been.
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5 years later...
"Santana?" Dani called from the yard, "Where are you?"
Up in the treehouse Brittany, Rachel and Santana's frantic movements came to a halt.
"Shoot!" Rachel exclaimed after a moment, continuing to 'lightly dust the floor with petals' as Santana put it.
"She's early!" Britanny said as she hurriedly picked up boxes.
The brunette straightened her strapless little black dress and fixed her hair, "how do I look? Ok?"
"You look great" Brittany reassured her friend, "she'd be dumb to say no."
"Tana?" Dani's muffled voice was heard from below.
"Time to go!" Rachel said, pushing Brittany out of the way so she could hug Santana. "You can do this, ok? You two are the most in love couple I have ever met." she put her hands on her friend's bare shoulders "she is going to say yes. You two are perfect for each other. Quinn and I look up to you guys. You look incredible." she pulled the girl in for a tight hug and released her.
"Good luck Santana" Brittany remarked, "it's going to be ok."
The two friends passed through the door of the treehouse and climbed down, informing Dani of her girlfriend's whereabouts.
As she climbed up the ladder she called, "Santana? Why are you up here? I thought we were going for dinner? Britt and Rachel seemed awfully chipper as well-oh"
Dani stared, slack-jawed, at the sight that met her eyes.
Santana stood in the centre of the room holding a bouquet of daisies – Dani's favourite flower – while objects from their relationship littered the table (a crazy golf ticket from their first date, plenty of cheesy Valentine's Day gifts and even Dani's drawer from Santana's first apartment) and pictures of their life together were stuck up all over the walls, from birth up until now.
"Santana you shouldn't hav-"
"No" Santana interjected, putting a finger to her girlfriend-hopefully soon-to-be fiancé's lips. "I wanted to. And you deserve everything remotely romantic on our 6th anniversary" she held out the daisies for Dani to take, "here. Have some cheerful flowers."
Dani smiled, took the flowers and bit her lip to try and stop the sobbing that she knew was going to ensue at some point that night, but she wanted to listen.
"Dani, you've always been there for me. I know I can trust you because every moment of our life together proves that we are meant to be together forever." Santana pulled the blonde a few feet along the wall of the house and gestured to a cluster of photographs, one in particular showing a grumpy looking, blonde 4 year old clearing up some mud on carpet with a 6 year old Santana looking on with amusement.
"That day I broke my mom's favourite plant pot while dancing overenthusiatically to The Spice Girls. You were too so don't laugh you at me" she added as the blonde began to snicker, "it fell over and you took the blame. Looking back, I see that it's because you loved me. Even at age 4. I want to show you everyday for the rest of my life how much I love you. Because I always will only have eyes for you."
Santana turned her attention to another picture, about a metre over, of her lying in a hospital bed at the age of 10 with a sleeping Dani on her bed, clutching Santana's arm, "That's when I fell off the climbing wall at school and broke my leg. You stayed with me for three days straight before our parents could convince you to go home. You brought me clothes, my old GameBoy and even a snickers bar every here and there. The doctors saved my leg but you were the one who was really taking care of me. I want to return the favour. I may be too late in doing so but I want to take care of you forever."
Dani was pulled further along the wall as tears slowy slipped out of her eyes, they stopped in front of a patch of bare wall.
Santana sighed and glanced at the wall, shamefaced, "then a few years later I made the dumbest decision of my life. I left. I was the biggest asshole in the history of them all. But I came back. And you forgave me. You accepted me again even though I broke your heart. I know that I can't promise not to make stupid decisions forever, but I know that I'll never leave again. I will always know that my heart is yours and I don't want it back from you. You can have it."
She moved to the next set of pictures, all taken around Quinn's birthday party 5 years earlier and when they came out "Now, I know telling your parents about us was difficult-"
"Granted, 'I love lady parts' wasn't the best way to come out to my mom..." Dani interjected with a soft giggle and a sniff of her nose.
Santana chuckled, "Maybe not, but it worked. You made that choice for me and I know it was one of the most courageous things anyone has ever done for me. You knew that they may not have accepted you. You knew that they could've told you to go. You made that sacrifice for me. You inspire me. I want to be as brave as you and I want you to be proud of the woman I am. I want to make you proud. I want to prove my love for you for the rest of our lives together."
At this point even Santana had tears forming in her eyes, but she soldiered on, not wanting to stop where she was. The next picture was taken at Santana's 21st Birthday bash at a club in New York City. Dani had her arm around the brunette, drunkenly kissing her cheek, as she leant on the bar.
"I had just turned 21. This was just before that sleezy guy came up to me and started pushing. He got angry when I didn't want to go with him. You kicked him in the nuts so hard I don't think he can have kids." the two let out a muffled chortle through their tears. "You protected me. I feel safe with you. You've guarded my soul, defended my honour and saved me from any heartbreak and pain I would've endured if you weren't there." she hastily wiped a tear from on her cheekbone and continued, "I want to shield you from anything hurtful. I want to you rescue you from anyone who thinks they dare to touch you. I want to be there for you like you have been there for me all these years."
They came to the end of the photographs on the wall now, and Dani could see the old drawings on the wall next to Santana in the light of the sunset.
"I wouldn't be who I am today without you. I owe you everything. I want this timeline of pictures to continue around the walls of the place where we fell in love. I want it to go on for decades because this, right here" she pointed to a seemingly empty spot on the wall, "is where it all started."
Dani bent down and, upon further inspection, realised that Santana was gesturing towards the inscription she had made years before.
'Dani and Tana will get married because we love each other and are happy and boys are ew.'
Dani turned back to her girlfriend and gasped when she found her lowering onto one knee with her phone in hand, "I want the next half of the timeline to start with this" she snapped a picture of Dani on her phone then picked up a red velvet box from the table, "that insciption was a promise. We are in love, we are happy and boys are still 'ew'. And I promise to keep those facts true forever if you agree to make that entire statement true." she opened the box to reveal a princess cut diamond ring with small blue sapphires surronding it and took Dani's left hand in her own. "Danielle Mitchie Torres, will you marry me?" she asked with a slightly shaky and hopefull voice.
Without a moment's hesitation, Dani put the flowers on the table and pulled the brunette up for a passionate kiss. After pulling apart, she rested their foreheads together and whispered, "of course I will"
Santana whooped ecstatically and lifted Dani, spinning her around before placing the ring on her long fingers and kissing her again.
"AAAAAAWE!"
The newly engaged couple spun their heads to look at the doorway, where the heads of Rachel, Quinn and Brittany were fighting for a view of the pair. When they saw that they had been caught they hurried down the ladder, leaving Dani and Santana alone in the treehouse to revel in their love, remember their life together and plan for a new beginning.
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Take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle I'll be eighty-seven; you'll be eighty-nine
Our whole town came and our mamas cried
You said I do and I did too
Take me home where we met so many years before
We'll rock our babies on that very front porch
After all this time, you and I
I'll still look at you like the stars that shine
In the sky, oh my my my...
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A/N: I hope you liked it! Please R&R :) I love you all 3