Brett, Josh, Darren and Luke. The four Pierce brothers, always there to protect their little sister from harm. They were the best players on the football team, and were all riding on it for a scholarship to a University not too far away from home, but far enough to be independent.

And when their little sister started freshman year and became a Cheerio, they were ecstatic. Finally, they could protect her from the world at school too, not just after. They didn't look it, but they loved her to bits. They would form a perimeter around her if they could and protect her in any way possible between classes. She was their little sister after all.

So when a certain Santana Lopez suddenly started hanging out with her, they felt threatened.

Darren told his brothers that he knew Santana's brother, Cristof, who had left for college two years previously. He had been a swimmer and a tennis player, and pretty much owned the place when he was around. But of course, he was a tennis player, and tennis and football didn't go that well together.

They didn't like Santana.

—

"Repeat that. Slowly. So I can hear you," Luke snarled at the sophomore he held under his grasp. He was a wimpy boy, very pale, love affair with hats. His name was Kurt something, his dad owned a tire shop.

"Your sister is sleeping with Santana Lopez!" he whimpered, obviously very, very scared of this hulking monster. Luke let the boy go and Kurt smoothed his shirt out before making to walk away. Brett, however, pulled him back roughly and leaned in close, snarling.

"Did you sleep with my sister?"

"No-o-o-o. I'm gay…"

"Oh. Well…uh…carry on…" Brett blushed, letting the boy go. He didn't want to hurt him now that he knew he hadn't done anything wrong, after all. Homosexuality wasn't a sin or anything. Especially if his little sister was like him…

"Dude, I have images in my head that should not be there!" Darren groaned, slapping a hand to his head and giving a load grunt. "I don't wanna imagine Britt and some chick all sweaty and shit!"

"We have to do something!" Josh stopped him, wincing as the images started to filter into his mind too. "We always beat up any guy that gets close to Britt. But are we seriously gonna beat up a girl?"

"She slept with our sister, though!" Luke shouted, slamming his hand against the lockers. "We never had any discrimination policy when it comes to who slept with our sister. You slept with her, we beat you up. Case closed."

"Brett, what do you think?"

Brett was silent, staring at the floor as he shifted his feet uncomfortably.

"How about we don't beat her up? Just…threaten her a little? Rough her up enough to scare her?"

The four brothers looked at each other, each one of them trying to understand what the other three were thinking about.

"It's for Britt's safety, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"I guess…"

"Let's talk about it at home guys."

—

A week later and they had finally arrived at a conclusion: beating up a girl was wrong, but threatening her wasn't. They arrived at school normally that day, watched Brittany flounce off to her first class, and they went off to their separate classes. The plan was simple: meet in the parking lot after school and corner the girl, threaten her into leaving Brittany alone, and maybe she would. If she didn't get the message the first time they'd just repeat and repeat and repeat…

It wasn't until Lunch period that they changed their minds.

They heard a very loud, very piercing yell and turned their heads to look over at the source. There, holding Santana back, was Brittany, her arms around the little Latina who was screaming at four boys on the football team about how stupid they all were, about how they were idiots compared to Brittany, how she was going to make it and they would all be Lima Losers for the rest of their lives. When she was done, she visibly relaxed, stopped squirming, and grabbed Brittany's pink y in her own, leading her away.

As she did, Brett was pretty sure he was a smile of pure unadulterated love on that girl's face as she turned to his little sister and smiled encouragingly.

Needles to say, plans changed after that.

—

"Where's Santana, Britt?" Josh asked that night at dinner as she trudged down the stairs in the tattered clothes she wore in the house.

"Yeah, doesn't she always eat dinner with us on Thursdays?" Luke grinned, pouring himself a glass of water.

Brittany looked up at them and seemed pretty confused at first. She shrugged though, and sat down. "She's on the way here."

"Cool."

The doorbell rang just then, and then the wooden barrier opened. "Hola!" the Latina called, making her way to the kitchen as if she lived in that place (which she probably legally did considering the amount of time she spent there). "Smells good, Missus Pierce! What we eating?"

"Hey, Santana!" the brothers yelled in unison, their usual greeting. Only today, something was definitely different. Today it had much more fervor in it.

"Uh…hi…" she smiled politely at them, and sat down next to Brittany. The blonde immediately leaned forward and placed her chin on the shorter girl's shoulder, closing her eyes and giving a loud, content sigh.

Luke nudged Brett under the table and pointed at the two, who were too busy whispering to each other to notice the other four persons in the room.

"Have you guys seen the way she looks at Britt?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Josh nodded, smiling. "She's so in love with her it's…it's sort of cute."

"So, do you think it's necessary to, like, confront her about all this?" Darren opted, giving shifty glances towards the girls.

"Nah man, just look at her. She'd never hurt Britt! We saw that in the cafeteria!" Brett laughed softly, leaning back in his chair.

"Alrighty then. No beating up the Lopez."

"Nope."

"Exactly."

Brett nodded once, curtly, before crossing his arms over his chest. It would still take a while until Santana got his full approval though.

—

Three years later and it was graduation for their little sister. They were all there, all four of them, standing proudly to the side and watching their little sister accept her little piece of paper and walk off. They clapped with the rest, because they knew she deserved this, and when everything was over, they started to push through the crowd to go and talk to her, congratulate her, hug her, whatever!

As they started to pass through the sea of students, they heard a loud squeal and a thump. Brett nudged forward a few more steps, suddenly hurrying, and then saw it.

On the floor, clearly having accidentally fallen, was Brittany, sitting up and grinning stupidly. On top of her, straddling her hips with her knees and bumping their foreheads clumsily together was Santana. The two were completely lost in each other's eyes, and weren't even listening to anything else. Brett froze as he saw them inch closer, and held his breath when the two of them kissed.

But it was alright. Because when it was done, Santana helped Brittany up, glared at anyone who looked like they would be insensitive enough to make a remark, and lead the blonde away.

—

Four years after that and Brittany was still starting law school, but it was the summer before so she was just at home, working most days but hanging with her brothers on others. Brett had gotten married to a nurse, Luke was engaged, and Josh and Darren were still waiting for the right lady. They were all in their living room, watching TV with Brittany (who still found cartoons incredibly amusing) when the doorbell rang and Santana entered with her own key. It was some sort of habit of hers, ringing the bell before she entered. Kind of like knocking on a door before you walked in.

"Hello, Pierces!" she called.

"Hey!" the four boys called, and Brittany sprung off the couch and ran to meet her at the opening to the living room, pulling her into a kiss from her hips, smiling dopily as she did. Their little sister nudged her nose into the side of Santana's face, like a little puppy, and the Latina laughed and kissed the blonde's forehead.

"How was work?"

"OK, I guess. How about you?"

"Yeah, it was good." They grinned at each other before moving to the sofa, Brittany taking up her previous seat and Santana sitting on her lap.

At least that's what they thought she would do. Instead she moved to stand in front of the TV and quickly cleared her throat, trying to gain the boys' attention.

"As you all know, Brittany and I have been dating for about five years now, seven if you count the years we slept together. I want you to know that I love her and that last night, when I took her out to dinner I…" she froze and hung her head, staring at her feet. Brittany got up and rushed to her side, holding out her left hand to her brothers.

"We're getting married."

"But!" Santana suddenly snapped back into play, wringing her hands together. "I know how much you guys love Britt too, and I just want your approval. I want to be sure you guys are OK with it…"

For five seconds, nobody spoke, until Luke suddenly leapt out of his chair and ran to the two girls, engulfing them in a bear hug.

"Welcome to the family, Lopez!"

And on that day, Brett, Darren, Luke and Josh finally accepted Santana Lopez into the Pierce family.