DISCLAIMER: I, unfortunately, do not own Glee or its characters. They belong to Fox and Ryan Murphy. Except Grey, she's my pride and joy.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the reviews and story alerts, guys. It's only a few of you, but I appreciate that you actually take the time to read my work. So there's a little fluff and cheese in this character, but who doesn't love a little fluff and cheese? The set out is also a tad different, with the whole "Days Before" thing. It's only for this chapter. Also, thank you to my friend TriedToLie, who gave me ideas for Santana's nicknames. She's pretty cool.

15 Days Before:

Hands appeared from nowhere and covered Grey's eyes. She was ready to scream, but before she had a chance, a familiar voice whispered in her ear.
"Did I scare you, Little B?" Santana said into her friend's ear. Grey chuckled.
"Only because your hands smell like you've been bathing in peppermint and bacon."
"You gots a problem with that?"
"Well, first, it ain't Kosher. Second of all, why in the name of all that is holy do your hands smell like peppermint and bacon?" Santana laughed as she took a seat next to her friend.
"It's this lotion Britt got me for my birthday. She found this place where you choose your own scents." Grey howled with laughter, forgetting she was in a library. She soon remembered when the librarian whose name she'd forgotten shushed her.
"Laugh all you want, kid, but it makes my hands as soft as a baby's ass."
"I'm just laughing because apparently nothing says "happy birthday, I love you" quite like peppermint and bacon." Santana punched Grey lightly on the arm. Their friendship was a strange one. No-one really knew how-or why, for that matter- it had happened. It just did. It was an easy friendship, nothing was forced. For Santana, it reminded her of her relationship with Brittany, but of course, Grey hadn't replaced her; Brittany was still her best friend and girlfriend. The loved each other. For Grey, it was as if a part of Rylan had come back into her life- both he and Santana had many similarities.
"Grey, when's the last time we did something together?" Santana asked.
"Uh, right now? As we speak we are- well, we're pretending to study. And we're about to go to lunch. Speaking of, where's your significant other?"
"Britt's got her weekly lunch date with Becky."
"That's cool. Anyway, why are we talking about doing stuff together?" Santana sat, and thought how to phrase her thoughts.
"My cousin's getting married in a few weeks, and I... Need a date." Grey raised an eyebrow.
"... And Brittany's gonna out of town with the 'rents."
"There it is," Grey grinned, "I'm your second choice."
"But only by that much," Santana said, holding her hands close together to emphasise that Grey had only just came second. Santana flashed Grey one of her killer smiles, the one that made something flutter in the bottom of Grey's stomach. Grey felt her cheeks redden.
"So?" Santana asked.
"So what?"
"Will you come to Nathaniel's wedding with me?"
"Is this some kind of evil plan to steal my virtue?" Santana laughed one of her booming laughs, and the flutter in Grey's stomach grew stronger.
"I'll go with you," Grey sighed, "but you've got to do something for me too."
"And that is?"
"You defined this as a date, so a date it is." Santana stared at her friend, confused. "You pick me up from my place. You bring me flowers. You be a gentleman for the whole night, got it?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a very mean, strange person?"
"Yes, yes they have. But do you agree to my conditions?" Santana nodded, and the pair shook hands. Grey smiled and tried to ignore the flutters that still occupied her stomach.

11 Days Before:

"Grey, wait up," Santana called, running to greet her friend. "Listen, what do you think about a sleepover?"
"Never invited to one as a kid. Next question."
"How would you like to come to my place for a sleepover?"
"If I'm the only one attending this sleepover, we give it a different name. Cheating on your girlfriend. And usually you take me on the date before you have me over for the night."
"It won't be just you. Tina, Quinn, Kurt, Britt, Mercedes, Rachel, me, and you. All the Glee Girls. And Kurt."
"It sounds like a plan, Miss Lopez. On a side note, I really need to give you a nickname. Santana just isn't cutting it for me." Santana scowled, and Grey flashed her a smile.
"So when is this for, exactly?"
"Tomorrow night. My place. 8pm." Grey gave Santana a little bow.
"I shall be there with bells on." Santana chuckled, and shook her head at Grey. She's a weird kid, she thought to herself, but she's still kinda awesome.

10 Days Before:

Grey and Rachel pulled up in front of Santana's house, and Grey heard her sister gasp. She had had the same reaction when she had first seen it.
"For all the time Santana spends going on about Lima Heights Adjacent, she seems to be pretty well off," Rachel said. The house was huge and looked like it belonged in an architecture magazine.
"Lay off her, Rachel. Her family only came into money a few years back. She had a tough childhood." Rachel rolled her eyes. She knew her sister was friends with Santana, but she found it strange. They had just clicked so easily, and although she resented it, Rachel had started feeling slightly jealous of Santana and how much Grey spoke of her. The sisters walked to the front door, and a maid opened it when they knocked. They were led to a room where the others were waiting; they had been the last ones to arrive. Santana greeted them, and hi-fived Grey. Rachel remained in the doorway, as Grey began to get comfortable amongst their friends.
"Come on in, Streisand, I won't bite... Again." Santana laughed as Rachel was reminded of a painful memory from their childhood. She shuddered as she remembered, making Santana laugh harder.

The night was fun. The pounding music, fun energy and alcohol made the night enjoyable. Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves, even those that had decided to stay sober. There were only three of them that weren't drinking: Kurt, Quinn and Grey.
"I do stupid things when I'm drunk" was the answer all three gave when questioned about their sobriety.
"Truth or Dare time, bitches!" Tina yelled, as the rest of the group stared, startled. "What? I can swear," she said, hiccupping. The teens roared with laughter, and Santana grinned, evilly.
"Okay, Tina. I dare you to flash us your boobs," she said, and the laughter increased when Tina followed through on the dare. The game continued, most people choosing dare and doing things their sober selves would never think of doing. When faced with the infamous question, Grey settled on Truth, not game to go through with whatever they were planning for her.
"Okay," Kurt said, "Who are you crushing on?" Grey blushed a deep red, and her friends made an 'ooh'-ing sound.
"Next question," she said.
"Rules are rules, you gotta tell us!"
"Why won't you tell us?" Santana asked, smelling the gossip, "Is he off limits?"
"Yes, she is," she retorted. Her friends were silent.
"You're gay?" a stunned Rachel asked.
"Not that it's any of your business, but no. I'm bi." Santana snorted with laughter.
"Please," she slurred, "There's no such thing as bi-curious. It's a myth, like vampires or Big Foot. Bi is just an excuse for being super horny!" Grey stared at her friend with cold eyes, and chose her next words carefully.
"I thought you'd understand, out of everybody. But if that's what you think, you can go fuck yourself." With that, Grey got up and stormed out of the room. Santana looked down at her lap, ashamed, and Quinn just rolled her eyes and followed Grey.
"Nice one, Lopez," Kurt said. Santana looked at him.
"You know what? I think you should bring your boyfriend next time and we can give him a makeover. He wears too many bowties. And too much hair gel."
Kurt sighed. "I know. "

Quinn had found Grey easily. She sat down next to her on the patio bench.
"You okay, Grey?" she asked. They weren't really friends, but they both liked and respected each other.
"Yeah, it's just... I thought that out of everyone, shed understand. I mean, she knows what it's like for people not to accept you. I thought she'd understand."
"Grey, you've got to remember that none of them are sober. Hell, she was probably trying to crack a joke and ease the tension a bit."
"I guess, but it still hurts. When you're drunk you say the things you wouldn't say sober. She would've thought it either way." Quinn sighed.
"I know. But I also know that Santana doesn't befriend just anyone. You've got to be pretty special, Grey. She really cares about you." Grey hesitated before speaking.
"But ,just... Not in the right way." Quinn looked at Grey, confused It took her a few seconds to understand.
"You mean... You like her?" Grey smiled, her eyes giving away just how sad she was Quinn pat her friend on the shoulder.
"Since the moment we met."
"Grey, I'm so sorry," she said.
"Me too," Grey sighed. They sat there for a few minutes, Quinn comforting Grey.
"Do you want to go back inside?" Quinn asked quietly, after a while.
"Nah, I think I'm going to head home. I don't feel like rejoining the party." Quinn agreed to go inside and get her bags and the car keys. When she returned, Grey looked up.
"Did she say anything?" she asked, feeling- for some reason- hopeful.
"No, but she looked disappointed that you're leaving." Grey bid Quinn farewell, and they both knew that they were now friends.

Grey walked through the front door, surprising an unsuspecting Leroy and Hiram.
"What are you doing home so early?" Hiram asked his daughter. He still smiled internally whenever he thought about it. She was his daughter, and right now, she seemed upset.
"Nothing," Grey said, and her fathers gave her an incredulous look. She sighed, and decided to tell them. They would understand. She relayed what had happened, omitting the part about her feelings for Santana.
"Well," Leroy said, "if you wanted to, you had ever right to leave. But just remember, Santana's your best friend."
"Yeah, she's my best friend, but I'm certainly not hers. There's only one Brittany Pierce." Grey sighed, dejectedly. "Goodnight, you guys. And thank you."
"For what?"
"For being so understanding. Being bi here isn't an issue. Being bi in an orphanage run by nuns isn't a good thing. Especially when you're also Jewish. There was one nun, she was a real old bitch. She tried to beat it out of me." Hiram stood, and hugged his daughter. Tears were swimming in both their eyes.
"We love you, Grey," he said softly, "Don't ever forget it."

4 Days Before:

Santana hadn't spoken to Grey since Friday night. They hadn't exchanged texts like they usually do, and Santana had avoided her at school.
"Is she mad at me?" Grey asked Quinn. The girls had spent lunch together on Monday and Tuesday, and Grey enjoyed her company.
"I don't think so," Quinn answered, her mouth filled with sandwich, "She didn't say anything to me." Grey was adamant not to approach her, after all, Santana was in the wrong. She wanted Santana to speak to her, but refused to break the silence. And apparently, so did Santana. The both of them were too stubborn for their own good.

3 Days Before:

Grey was becoming impatient, yet still refused to break the silence.

2 Days Before:

She'll talk to me first, I know she will. I am not breaking. I wonder what's happening about the wedding. It sounded like it would be fun.

1 Day Before:

Nope. I will not talk to her first. No. Okay, maybe. But I don't know how to break the ice. This is difficult. How do I do this. Humour is obviously involved. As is being sweet. If I could use my humour and sweetness powers for good instead of evil, I would have an amazing idea by now. Think. Think.

5 Hours Before:

Grey pulled up in front of Santana's house, and looked at her reflection in the rear view mirror. When she deemed her appearance to be satisfactory, she got out of the car, and walked to the front door. She knocked tentatively, and the door opened, with a surprised Santana standing in the doorway. Grey held the flowers out in front of her. A rolled up piece of paper was in her other hand.
"What the hell are you doing?" Santana asked.
"Well, you said it was a date... And I wanted to say I'm sorry for overreacting and being, well, being a massive douche face." Grey smiled, and offered the flowers Santana, who accepted them.
"I forgive you for being a massive douche face. And I'm sorry for saying... What I said. I say stupid things when I'm drunk." Grey clapped her hands together.
"Well, Code Red, I'm excited for our date. Oh! And I got your cousin Nathaniel a present."
"You didn't have to do... Wait, what did you call me?"
"Code Red. I'm trying out nicknames. You don't like it?" Santana shook her head.
"What about Pez?"
"Like the candy? No."
"Antenna."
"No."
"Tanalana Bing Bong?"
"I will shoot you."
"Alright, I have one. From now on, you're Spezz."
"Spezz?"
"Like, S. Lopez," she said, accentuating the 'pez'.
"Fine, Spezz it is. Now what's this present you're on about?" Grey unrolled the piece of paper, and showed Santana, who gasped.
"You drew this?" she said incredulously.
"Yeah, I've told you before that I draw."
"But how did you know what Nathaniel looks like?"
"Facebook," Grey admitted, and Santana looked at her, speechless.
"Beautiful," she whispered, and Grey wished the compliment had been payed to her, rather than the drawing.

The Moments Before:

The ceremony was beautiful. Nathaniel was good looking, and his bride was beautiful. Grey had sat with Santana, who had tears rolling down her cheeks.

At the reception, Grey sat next to her friend, and they laughed the whole night. The atmosphere was pleasant, and Grey was enjoying herself. She watched Santana dance with relative after relative, her heart melting when she saw her dancing with a five year old cousin. Though Santana had asked her, Grey refused to dance. It wasn't her thing.

When the DJ announced Nathaniel and Lisa's first dance as husband and wife, the pair began to dance, to a slow, beautiful song. Soon, other partners flooded the dance floor. Grey felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up, to find Santana staring down at her.
"May I have this dance, Little B? It is a date, after all."
"It would be my honour, Spezz." Grey grinned, and stood. Santana led her to the dance floor, where they began to dance like the other couples.

That was the moment. Standing there, dancing, Santana whispering jokes into her ear. That was the moment Grey began to fall in love with her best friend. She knew she didn't have a chance. She knew that Brittany was the one Santana loved. But she didn't care. She was falling in love with the most beautiful girl. The most perfect girl. A girl who willingly let someone call her Spezz.
And yet Grey couldn't bring herself to tell Santana the truth.
And she knew she never could.