Chapter 4

Panda At Large

I own nothing.

All mistakes are mine.

I hope you all like it!

Santana's POV

"Sanny" Brittany repeated my name; her voice sounds so weak and distant. Then the line was cut.

"No! " I called after her as if she would hear my plea. There's heaviness in my chest that is making me hard to breathe. She called me, she needs me.

"Santana" I heard my name and footsteps from a distance. "Santana" I heard it again but now it's a little louder. "Santana wake up!" with that I opened my eyes and saw Quinn sitting on the coffee table infront of me, her face etched with concern.

"Not again Q! That's two days in a row. What time is it?" I sit up from the couch groaning. I must have fallen asleep in the couch last night because of exhaustion.

"It's only 7am I didn't want to wake you up, but you were shouting, you must be having a bad dream." Right the call from Brittany, I reached out for my phone and checked it, it was there an unregistered number, a confirmation of last night's call. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, a relief. It wasn't a dream.

I don't remember what happened after the call, I passed out and fell asleep, I guess. My backache for sleeping on the couch, I stretched my limbs to release some pain but it didn't work. Quinn must have sense my discomfort and sat on the couch behind me and massages my aching back. "I told you to sleep in the guest room Tana. Feeling any better?" I closed my eyes and tilted my head backwards; this woman knows how to use her hands so well.

"Awwww.. You two looks like an old married couple! Too cute!" I snapped my eyes open remembering that there's an unwanted guest in Quinn's apartment.

"Atleast we categorized in the "MARRIED" department, unlike other couple I know." I said glaring at the girl who ruined my night. Hearing my words, Tina was almost in tears in seconds. Not again!

"Tina, you know better than to tease a grumpy Latina in the morning!" Quinn defended me; I thought she's going to hush me off from pissing girl Chang, but maybe a sex-deprived Quinn is on my advantage sometimes. I stick my tongue out to irate Tina more. TRUIMPH! "Tina, can you help me for breakfast, you make the pancakes, and I'll cook the bacon." Quinn requested.

"Sure, where do you put your pancake mix?" Tina asked walking straight to the kitchen.

"Above the fridge, the one with the purple container. I'll follow you in a few." When Tina was out sight Quinn hugged me from behind, her chin rested on my shoulder. "Good morning Grumpy! Sorry about last night, try to rest some more." She tightened her hug while apologizing, after a few seconds she stood up kiss my forehead and started heading to the kitchen. I leaned on the couch and watched her fine ass sway its way to the kitchen. Oh God it's too early to be hot and bothered.

Britt called me last night, a call which took only for a few seconds, it worries me how she sounds so weak, sad and lonely. Brittany the girl who thinks the square root of 4 is rainbows, Jolly old Britt, she seemed bereft. I looked down at the phone in my hands, does the call means she needs me? Thinking about it, I haven't really known the story of why Britt and Sam broke up. Should I call her to ask? Just a tap of my finger and I would know everything, easy as ABC, but can't I do it? What am I afraid of? And I call myself a badass. I'm so lame sometimes.

"Are you alright Tana?" I looked up to see Quinn infront of me, I didn't saw her coming. Should I tell her? Britt is both our friend and she can help me right?! Damn internal monologues. "Tana" Quinn called me out from my reverie.

"It's… umm… It's Britt she called me last night." I struggled for my words, but I have to let it out, if there's one person I can talk to about my battles its Quinn Fabray. Vulnerability is calling me and today I will throw a white hanky for my surrender.

"Oh… What did she say?" While I'm putting down my walls, Quinn is ironically building up one. Her question was with concern, but the glint of her eyes said a million things. Like I said she's is so unpredictable, right now where only a few meters away but she feels so distant.

"Just my name "I said matter-of-factly.

"Just your name?" She quirked an eyebrow, assessing if I was telling the truth.

"Yeah, and then the call ended."

"Did you call her back?" she inquired further.

"No. Should I have? Do I need to call her back? Why do you think she called me? Do you think she needs me? What do you think the call means?" I was rambling; I don't know what to do.

"And you tell us we were over acting when we kept Britt and Sam's break up from you. Look at you now? You're a freaking out! Have you seen yourself in the mirror? You're a mess! YOU'RE SO PATHETIC!" With that she stormed out from the living room to her room, slamming the door. What is wrong with her? Tina came running after the blonde bitch walked out.

"What happened?" Tina asked with concern.

"Well it's called glee drama baby!" I glared at her. I stood up and walk to the kitchen. "It's seems like it'll just be you and me for breakfast girl Chang." I shrugged and looked back at the close abused door. What a great morning!

QSQSQSQSQS

"What time will Mike pick you up?" I asked Tina over breakfast, an awkward breakfast to be exact.

"He's on his way, do you need a ride or are you going to stay?"

"Tina, my apartment is only a few blocks away, I don't need a ride. And I'm not going to stay, not when a scary blonde monster is at large." I said pointing at the door where the monster is nesting.

"It's called green-eyed monster, have you heard of that Satan?"

"You think I'm illiterate?! And what are talking about Quinn being jealous?" I deadpanned.

"I kinda hear both of you a while ago, and I kinda know Quinn and you are sleeping around. You're just too horny to realize that it's not all fun and games for her. You should have seen her face everytime she goes home with you after every dinner we have, how uncomfortable she is everytime Brittany comes here to visit, and how worried she is of how you will react in Britt's break up with Sam. She even texted us before dinner last night to not bring it up." Holy hell that was too much information.

"You're wrong, that's just suspicion. We're not sleeping together girl Chang, she's my best friend, and she's concerned with my well-being. She loves me, but she's not IN love with me. Spot the difference?!" I can still get away with that, I would never admit to anyone what happens when Quinn and I are inside our room.

"Deny it all you can, but can you explain why Quinn is moaning your name last night?" my eyes widened with that, and felt my blood all went up my head.

"How would I know? Was I the one moaning?" this conversation is beginning to be uncomfortable. I need an escape route; I can still get away from this.

"O-kay so it'll be just fine to discuss my certain observation with Rachel and Kurt since there's nothing true with it, right?!" she smirked. Trapped!

"Fine… fine! You caught me! How can you see so much with those little dots you called eyes?"

"Are you insulting me now?" She asked, one eyebrow raised, crossed her arms and masked a devious smile. Is she blackmailing me now?

"okay… okay my bad, but you haven't answered my question and does anyone know aside from you?"

"I just told you Quinn loves you and all you care about is what other people thinks." She said a little high pitch for girl Chang.

"And I told you she's not in love with me, so answer my freakin' question!" I demanded.

"No one knows alright, I just confirmed it from you, remember? What a victory it was don't you think?!" This girl is unbelievable! "And don't worry I won't tell anyone."

"I don't care if anyone knows Tina, but I know Quinn wouldn't like it if you do." I said calming my nerves down.

"Can I ask you a question?" she said hesitantly.

"Let me guess… You're going to ask me if I love her, right?!" she nodded. Very predictable.

"I'm going to say this once and I want you to listen very intently, I don't want a follow up question after, okay, Quinn and I are best of friends, I don't love her, she doesn't love me, it's just S-E-X! Got it?!" Her face was crumpled, full of confusion, she was about to open her mouth when I heard a knock on the door. Saved by the bell.

"That must be the zookeeper I called, he lost a pet panda last night and I told him he's gonna find that Chinese bear in the ice queen's lair. I'll go get him, you do the dishes. I'm gonna talk to him first, make sure he'll take care of the panda so it won't go astray, and I don't want you eavesdropping." I told Tina while making my way to the door.

"Mr. Dance Revolution, come in. Tina's exercising her domesticating abilities; you and I need to talk. " I welcomed Mike.

"Ah… okay.. " He said wary when he arrived at the living room.

"You plan on marrying your girl?" I asked straight to the point.

"Offcourse, but.." I raised my hands in front of his face to stop him.

"So, I know Tina's been bothering you with the commitment drama lately…" I started; Mike looked down to avoid eye contact with me. "It's okay Chang, don't pressure yourself. Do it on your own pace, if you think you're both not ready, and then don't ask her to marry yet."

"You're not mad at me for being a douche? She wanted us to be the first married couple in the group; it was kind of a goal for her. I wanted to save some more for a big wedding, her dream wedding, I didn't saw Blaine's proposal coming, she was really disappointed of me last night." He admitted shrugging.

"And so what if you're not the first to marry?! It doesn't matter if you can give her the first wedding in the group, what matters is you will give her the dream wedding she also wanted. And in the future, she'll be proud to tell your kids that you proposed to her on an unexpected magical gross moment, rather than you both sitting down and planning a wedding without any proposal. Right time, right place, your own pace buddy!" I told him while tapping his back for encouragement.

"Who are you and what did you do to my badass Latina friend?" He teased me.

"You tell anyone and I'll deny it!" We both laughed. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"I knew it, you need something that's why you're being nice to me." he said accusingly.

"We'll I would have ask you the same favor even without girl Changs drama." I countered.

"Okay.. shoot!"

"It's about Britt, I know you're going to see her next week and you're going to ask her how she's doing, she's going to pretend she's alright and be her jolly self, but I know she's not and I want you to make sure she talks to you about her feelings. She'll open up with a little persuasion, you're the only one amongst all of us who sees her constantly and I want you to be there for her. Can I count on you?"

"Sure, no problem, but you know you can visit her Santana."

"I know that, but I have a lot on my plate, apparently." I told him scratching my head, thinking about the situation at hand. I still have an ice queen to face or am I ready to talk about what Tina said?

"Hey! You spaced out." Mike called my attention.

"Right! Oh… Tina, it's time to go your zookeeper is here!" I called out for Tina cooing her.

"Zookeeper?" Mike made a funny face.

"Watcha said to him?" Tina said while approaching us.

"I told Mr. Dance Revolution that the way to really dance is to be in his own pace, each step at the right place and most importantly at the right time." I smirked at a confused Tina.

"Exactly!" Mike affirmed "It's time to go Tina, where's Quinn?"

"It's much safer for your lives if you won't say goodbye to her. I'll just give her your love." Tina giggled when I said the L word, I nudged her.

"Ouch.. See you soon and good luck with the ice queen" Tina said with a wink. And she's going to start teasing from now on. Bitch!

"Thanks Santana!" Mike said and I gave him two thumbs up.

I gave them both a hug and push them out the door. When the door clicked signalling that I was alone, this means it's time to face the wrath of the scary ice queen. What if Tina was right? No way Quinn's in love with me, Tina's delusional and has a big imagination, That's it! I walked toward her room and before I open the door I recited my mantra to give me strength:

I don't love her, she doesn't love me, it's just sex.

A/N: Another chapter done!

Boringsiot: Drama and angst will be in the next chapter. Thanks for the constant review!

Ryoko05: Brittany will be mentioned in every chapter, I guess, but the Brittany reunion will be in the later chapter.

For the guest who asked for Mercedes, your wish is my command, but I need some patience for that…

Silentreader: I am writing chapter 2 of my other story "Coffee and that Smile" soon, I just want to focus on this first.

Thanks for the reviews!