"By your Side"
It is set a few years in the future, yet will follow some cannon. Santana broke up with Brittany, but not for the reasons on the show. Brittany is dating…not married to Sam. Brittana survived while Santana in college. Santana is now an up and coming starlet in NYC but is now home for reasons unknown. Quinn also lives in NYC and will pop up from time to time in Lima. Brittany and Sam have separate places where they live. Brittany runs a successful dance studio in Lima. Anything else I think will be explained. This is my first story.
Rated M for Mature…will eventually be NC-17
"Yeah, I am just on my way to the hospital to see Santana. I'll only be an hour tops. K. I'll see you then, bye"
Quinn hung up the phone outside the store she had just stopped at to get Santana some Gatorade and gossip magazines where she failed to notice a scared looking Brittany approach her. She should have realized the store she had stopped at was in the same damn plaza as Britt's dance studio.
"Santana's in the hospital?" Brittany asked.
"Britt, you misheard" Quinn said assertively trying to deflect this conversation.
"No. I didn't. I may be "dumb" but I heard you. You clearly said you were going to visit Santanaaaa in theeeeee hopsitaaaal (she elongated the words to prove a point). See? I heard you".
"I get you point, thanks"
"So are you going to tell me about Santana?"
"It's no big deal, Britt, plus aren't you like dating Sam now?"
"Quinn, that's fair, you know I lo-…care for Santana…please Quinn" she begged. "Please Quinn. I am not giving up, please" Brittany pouted as she spoke those last lines. Quinn knew she was screwed. Brittany was like a child who wanted something…she would never. Ever. Give. Up.
"Santana's just sick, Britt" and at that Quinn felt her phone vibrate in her purse and noticed it was Mrs. Lopez. "Hold on, Britt, I gotta take this. Hello? Uh, hi Mrs. Loo- uh, yeah…oh she is-yeah, I'll do just that. Thanks for calling. Bye" Quinn hung up.
Maribel Lopez had called to let Quinn know Santana wasn't feeling up to company and to try again tomorrow.
"Was that Santana's mom?"
"Yeah, she said that Santana was asleep (she lied) and to come up and visit her tomorrow".
"Oh" Brittany said pondering. "What did you say she was sick with again?"
"I didn't" Quinn replied curtly.
"OH MY GOD Quinn….please" Brittany was desperate.
"She doesn't want you to know" Quinn blurted out.
"What?"
"She made me promise her I wouldn't tell you or anyone else anything about why she is home. I should have never said anything out loud…god, she is going to kill me"
"Quinn!" Brittany screamed.
"Look, Britt, this isn't easy, so I am just going to come right out and say it and then pray to god she doesn't go all Lima Heights on me. Britt, Santana has Lymphoma".
"Lymp…wha?"
"Cancer. Santana has cancer, Britt"
Chapter 2
"Cancer. Santana has cancer, Britt"
"She didn't want you to know...she wanted to protect you"
Brittany just stood there as Quinn nervously rambled.
"How long has she known"
"Months. She moved back here around Thanksgiving to start treatment. Only I know...and her parents, of course, which is why she is going to kill me" Quinn admitted.
Brittany was trying to put all the pieces together. It didn't make sense, why hadn't she been the one she told ? Britt wondered. Was it Sam?
"Quinn, I have to go-" Quinn cut her off
"No! Absolutely not! That is the LAST things she wants. Please Britt, you don't understand"
"WELL THEN HELP ME TO!" Brittany screamed.
"Look, I'm sorry I am being insensitive here, but you have to let her have this. Let her protect you"
"Protect me from what? Not being able to see her? Help her? Comfort her? Protect me form what, Quinn?"
"Britt, you have a new life...you have Sam, the studio...you don't need that. You've moved on"
"That's crap and you know it." Britt fought back.
"She doesn't want you to see her like that. She wants you to remember her in the choir room...vibrant and a live. She doesn't want you to watch her di-" Quinn couldn't even get the word out. "Britt, its...its, bad, please...this is the only she wants".
Brittany's head dropped shaking back and forth as tears streamed down her face. Quinn closed the short distance and hugged the taller blonde as the sob she had been holding back finally escaped.
"Shh...I know, believe I know" Quinn sympathized with her. This whole thing was awful. Their Santana...strong and mighty Santana was now fighting for the very thing she was once so full of-life.
"I love her" Brittany whispered out.
"I know and she knows. This is why you have to give her this"
"That's not fair. This isn't fair" Britt tried to reason.
"I know, and it doesn't make it right, but we just have to accept it. Britt, she is giving you a gift here. She wants you more than anything to live the life you deserved" Britt lifted her eyes to look at Quinn. "Her words not mine. Britt, that girl loves you more than anything and seeing you suffer is far worse than her being sick, and she knows that if you get dragged into this that is exactly what she will see in your eye, suffering, and that, she said is far worse than any diagnosis."
"Quinn, I can't just walk away from this and go live my life now. It doesn't work that way and you know it. You said she still loves me, right?"
"You know she'll never not love you..thats why she-" Quinn stopped mid-sentence.
"That's why she what Quinn?"
"It's not for me to tell you, I have already said too much. Look, Britt, I obviously can't control you, but when Santana told me she promised me to protect you, to keep this from you. But I am not going to lie, she needs you. I can't believe I am saying this...ugh. Why is this so hard? Damn you Santana. Britt, just don't hurt her. She's fragile, I know she pretends like she isn't but she is. I just...I don't even know, but Britt..." Quinn didn't have to clearly articulate what she meant, Brittany knew what she meant.
"I won't. I will be right by her side. She is my purpose. I will never leave her side until we walk out of there...her leading the way"
"I hope so" Quinn responded. "Look, Britt, I've gotta go. I am so sorry I had to be the one to tell you. But please, please, please, keep this between us, and I'll deal with the wrath Santana will surely fume onto me".
"I'm gonna do this Quinn. I'm gonna get her through this" Britt spoke confidently as she hugged Quinn one more time. Quinn hoped to God it was true but she couldn't respond because she honestly just did not know.
"Bye Britt."
"Bye"
