Author's Note: I don't know much about the army or anything in affiliation to it and the process a person goes through when enrolled. I will try to make it as plausible as possible but I apologize in advance for any discrepancies.

Santana Marie Lopez was six years old when she met the first and only person she ever truly loved, Brett Samson Pierce. There was an instant sort of fascination the moment her mocha colored eyes met his baby blues. Even after years, she could easily remember the way his lips broke out into a bright smile, revealing a gap between his two front teeth on the first day they saw each other. On their first anniversary of dating, she bashfully admitted to him that she thought he was the coolest kid she saw because of his Reptar shirt; he kissed her.

Years later and her love still burned as bright as it did when he finally mustered the courage to ask her out for the first time. Santana could still vividly recall the ordeal, tilting her head to the side with a smile firmly in place both on her lips and in her eyes. Brett sheepishly confessed to the Latina of his less than incredible memory of the event, stating that the only thing he could say for sure was that she wore a dark red long sleeved shirt. He always said that red was her color.

At times, she would find herself reminiscing the lonely moments during the beginning years of their relationship. After all the time that had passed since those early years, the pain that accompanied those moments didn't appear. Instead, they brought a small, watery smile to her lips and happy tears to her eyes. The love of her life did things that only a true hero was capable of.

When she was twenty one, Santana supposed that many, especially her old high school classmates, would assume she'd suffocate in a relationship of such intensity and duration. She didn't. On the contrary, she thrived at the side of her soul mate. Her smile was fuller and laughter heartier. The passion she had for music grew to the point where she had notebooks full of songs; more than half of which were dedicated to a certain blond. He joined in on many of her duets, complimenting her voice perfectly.

The two lived comfortably together in a small apartment that was approximately a fifteen minute walk from Julliard, the school they both attended. At times, Santana still couldn't believe that she had lived in New York City in order to pursue her dreams of making something of her music with the love of her life. She owed it all to her goofball, even though he always denied any of the credit.

Her life was finally absolutely perfect and she was completely content with it all. Hell, she'd be perfectly happy anywhere so long as she was with Brett. He regularly told her that he'd live in a shoe with her like the lady in the story and he'd still be content because the Latina made everything better. Santana's heart melted a little because of the undeniable truth in his gorgeous eyes. He always knew how to melt her.

It wasn't until a few months of perfection that her world seemed to crumble and break apart in front of her very eyes and it all started with a phone call…

...

"Brett, baby, stop fidgeting," Santana scolded with a laugh. He merely pouted at her and let out a sigh.

"It's going to be boring, isn't it?" he asked. His deep voice resembled more of a pout than his jutted out lip.

In response, the Latina rolled her eyes and finished adjusting his tie. She had to admit, he looked absolutely handsome in his dark red button down, black tie and slacks. Then again, he never looked anything short of incredibly attractive.

"I'm going to take that as a yes."

"You're the one that told Hummel-Berry we'd be there. You can't blame me for anything," she said, emphasizing her words with a pointed stare. Brett tried to keep the pout on his face but couldn't fight the smile that made its way to his lips. All he could see was Santana in the dress that complimented his outfit and nothing else existed. They were a matching pair, made for each other.

"You're beautiful," he murmured. The way his eyes focused on hers simply stole her breath away, even after all their years together.

"You too," she smiled. His low, rumbling laugh was cut short by Santana's caressing touch. She ran her fingertips along his strong jaw, up his cheek, over the bridge of his nose then across his lips. How did she get so lucky?

"San, you're my girlfriend." His tone was reverent, speaking the words as if they were the greatest prayer.

"And you're my boyfriend," she replied with a smile. It was a game they played often, as tribute to the first time they officially acknowledged their relationship a little over three years ago.

Slowly, they leaned closer to each other so that their faces were only a breath apart. Their eyes remained locked for only a moment until their lips met in an impassioned kiss. Santana's arms wrapped around her boyfriend's neck of their own accord the same moment his wound around her waist.

The couple remained as such, cocooned in the warmth of their loving embrace. They would have continued in their own world if not for the loud ringing of Brett's phone.

"Mood killer," he chuckled, reluctantly pulling himself from his brunette. She harrumphed, glaring at his pants pocket that held the device. She had half a mind to snatch it away and verbally lay out a Lima Heights smack down on whoever interrupted their kiss.

Sensing the direction of the raven haired beauty's thoughts, Brett quickly answered his phone with a light, "hey mom."

The frustration Santana felt instantly disappeared when she found out it was Mama Pierce on the other end of the line. Just as she was about to ask for the opportunity to greet the older woman, a dark look crossed the blond's face. She instantly changed her actions, moving to console him rather than demand the cell.

"When?" he asked.

Resting her head on his chest, all she heard was the steady beating of his heart and the soft murmur of Mrs. Pierce's voice over the phone. His free arm instantly went to her waist and pulled her closer, so that her body was completely flush against his. Some of the tension in his muscles faded away but the troubled look that pinched his brow and pressed his lips into a frown didn't disappear. Worry began to slowly gnaw at Santana's stomach; Brett rarely ever frowned.

"I'll take care of it, don't worry." His voice was strained and it hurt her to hear it as such. "I love you too, mom." He buried his face in his girlfriend's hair, taking a deep breath after he bid his mother farewell.

Again they lost themselves for a moment, holding their other half in a tight embrace. Santana might not have known what was troubling her boyfriend but she did know that she hated him in any mood that wasn't happy.

"We're going to be late," he eventually mumbled into her hair. The Latina pulled far enough away to look into his eyes while remaining in his strong arms. His azure gaze was slightly darker than usual but there was little chance the reason was due to any form of lust.

"What's wrong, B?" she questioned softly, ignoring his words.

"Let's hear our friends sing and then we can talk, is that okay?" His gentle blue eyes were pleading, urging Santana to temporarily drop the topic and move on.

She nodded slowly, still worried but completely trusting in his requests. He never did her wrong, ever.

Two hours later, Brett sported what appeared to be a broad grin when he walked up to congratulate Rachel and Kurt on their job well done but Santana wasn't convinced. She knew the differences in his smiles and recognized the lingering sadness in his features. It was difficult, but she followed his lead and did her greatest to put her best face forward. Their friends got a little suspicious when Santana did nothing but smile and agree with the praise Brett offered but then she added a few snarky remarks and they were never the wiser.

The ride home was tense, strained with the silence over whatever bothered Brett. He avoided meeting her eyes, instead focusing on the road and their surroundings. It was unnerving, having a secret between them. Brett felt like bursting, especially when they were stuck behind a red light.

The moment they passed through the threshold of their quaint home, he grabbed Santana by her waist and crashed his lips to hers. He pinned her against their front door, pressing into her body with his. She reacted without hesitation, losing herself in his heated kiss and teasing touch. They were made to be together.

What began as rough and sloppy show of nearly overpowering hunger and desire transformed into a gentle and warm display. Their kiss slowed and their hands began to languidly rove around one another's body. They took their time removing each other's clothes, button by button undone with nimble and patient fingers. Time no longer existed as they reassured themselves as well as their partner that the love they shared could never be tainted. Brett put all his want and need into every brush of his lips and caress of his fingers, temporarily putting the news of the day away from his mind.

Soon they were in their room, both bared naked and exposed in more ways than one. Santana knew something tragic was upon the horizon but didn't care in that moment that they shared a kiss so passionate yet incredibly gentle it robbed her of her very breath. It felt like their first time all over again, with all their emotions and senses super charged. Every action equaled an unparalleled amount of love.

They made love like no other time that night. In Brett's heart, he was already bidding his soul mate his temporary goodbye. He stared at her, looking down in wonder at the woman whose head rested above his heart, whose dark hair was splayed across his broad chest, whose sweet chocolate eyes were closed in contentment.

"I love you," she whispered, echoing the thoughts in both their minds. Her warm breath tickled his skin and sent chills down his spine. The brunette smiled when she felt more than saw the shiver that ran through his body. Her fingers ghosted over his bare abdomen, eliciting a small moan to escape her boyfriend.

"Santana," he mumbled, drawing out her name. She soaked in the heat of his naked body flush against hers, reveling in the tingling it caused to dance along her skin.

"Yes?" she half grinned.

He pressed a soft kiss to the crown of her head. She opened her eyes to look up at him and study his handsome face. She noticed the small smile that he wore didn't totally reach his eyes. His steady gaze was warm and tender but held lingering traces of the worry and melancholy she saw earlier. Suddenly, his nakedness didn't have such an effect on her as it did a few seconds ago.

"Baby, please talk to me." She shifted so that she could face him more fully and inspect him more carefully.

He let out a long sigh before scooting back on their bed so that he could sit up. He pulled her into his arms and smoothed back the damp hair that stuck to her forehead. After placing a small kiss to her forehead, he leaned back against the head board and closed his eyes.

"My dad was always my greatest hero, you know that," he began slowly. "He was always so tall and strong, like a superhero, like Superman but he wore camo. He taught me to take care of mom and Suze. He was the one that got me into boy scouts and taught me a whole bunch of cool stuff.
"I remember the first time he came back home after his first deployment that I could remember. Mom dropped a whole mixing bowl full of cake batter when he walked into the kitchen and it splattered all over my feet. Dad just burst out laughing, dropped his bag and picked my mom up. She cried but she was laughing too and I remember asking my dad why. He just said that it was because she was really, really happy to be a family again, so I laughed too. I was four.
"When… when he didn't come back from the last time he was deployed, it hurt, a lot. Mom and Suze couldn't stop crying. I didn't cry that much because I was his soldier and he said soldiers do their best to not cry in public. San, you were the main light of my life during that time." He felt her fingers brush across his cheek, causing him to open his eyes and that's when he realized tears had spilled down his face.

"I'm always with you, Brett," she cooed, gently urging him to continue.

"For as long as I can remember, I've wanted nothing more than to make my dad proud; I've wanted to be like him and that's why I did what I did. I don't regret signing up, not in the least; I just hated being away from you for so long when we just barely started dating. You were stuck in Lima, waiting for me when this city was waiting for you. I know it was only a few months but it was hard. It was only because of all the circumstances surrounding me and my connections, the reserve took me in and let me get out to you. After training, all I've had to do was give every other weekend and that's it and two weeks a year. We've been so happy these past few months…" he trailed off for a moment, unsure how to proceed. He was sure he didn't have to say it because of the look that had taken residence in Santana's eyes. He knew she understood but he also knew that she wanted, no needed to hear him say it.

No, no, no, no, no, no, the word played on a loop in the Latina's mind. She couldn't fully comprehend the reason behind the thought, nor could she piece together the reason behind the heavy lump that suddenly took residence in her throat. Her mind stubbornly kept what felt so obvious from her conscious thoughts. No, no, no, no.

"They called my mom about an hour before she called me." She began shaking her head from side to side, sitting up and out of his embrace. No, no…

"I forgot to let them know about my change in number when I put down our new address…" No… She put her hands over her ears, willing away the unbearable sense of dread that squeezed the very breath out of her lungs. It did nothing to keep the next words that came from his gorgeous mouth.

"Santana… I'm being deployed in a little less than a month."

Another Author's Note: I've been working on this and mulling the idea around for a while and finally decided to post it today in celebration of my birthday. This fic won't be too long and will possibly contain quite a few errors (all of which are mine). The next update should be soon. Thanks for reading!

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