It took me a moment to take in what she had said… and what she was wearing.
She was wearing a simple mid thigh length black dress with ruffles on the front and a black pin-striped blazer that was three quarters in length – both on her arms and on her torso. She looked amazing…
Then I realised what she had said to me.
"Are we going outside?" I asked, sitting up in bed excitedly, I had begun to feel like a bit of a hermit being cooped up indoors all of this time.
I watched enthralled as she grinned down at me and nodded her head in answer. I hopped out of bed as gracefully as I could with my covers wrapped around my feet. She laughed and followed me into my closet where I began a speedy search for clothes.
"It is sunny today." She told me as I flicked through my clothes quickly.
"What about this?" I asked holding up a summer dress, it was white with red flowers on it. I wasn't sure what we were doing but after a week in sweats I was ready to dress up a little.
"Perfect." She breathed, giving me that one smile that turns my stomach into a butterfly sanctuary.
She told me that she'd meet me in the kitchen and left me to get dressed. I quickly hopped into the shower, impatient to leave.
Soon I was skipping down the halls, the material of my dress fluttering across my thighs as I went. Once I got to the kitchen I saw Santana stood talking to Sam and Puck quietly. I didn't know what it was about but I guessed it was important.
I didn't bother clearing my throat or doing anything else to announce my presence. Santana always seemed to know when I was there.
It was weird seeing them there together, other than brief message passing; I hadn't really seen Santana interact with either of them. The conversation seemed serious, if the looks on their faces were anything to go by.
They stopped.
"Are you ready to go then Britt-Britt?" Santana was cheerful again and, by extension, so was I.
I nodded, smile back in place again. She gestured for me to follow as she started walking out of the kitchen.
"Bye Sam! … Bye Puck." I hesitated before talking to Puck. Despite my early dislike of him and his never speaking, I had actually come to like Puck. He was nice, and I felt oddly comfortable around him.
"Bye Britt!" Sam said back. Puck smiled and nodded.
I hurried up to catch up to Santana as she headed down a corridor that I was sure I had passed through lots of times. We walked up to a door that I didn't remember ever coming across. Santana opened it like it was the most natural thing in the world. And really, it was natural to open doors. Except that this door led outside.
It was strange because we lived high up in whatever building we were located in, having a great view out onto the city. But the door opened right out onto the street. Santana held the door open and gestured for me to walk outside. I smiled in thanks before stepping outside and immediately becoming immersed in a heat that can only be offered by the sun's rays. I couldn't help but close my eyes as I tilted my head up towards the source of heat.
I felt a hand press into mine, a hand warmer than even the sun's caress. Goosebumps rose along my forearm as tingles swept along it from our point of contact. I turned to see Santana smiling at me, the giant ball of gas and fire creating a halo around her head. The contrast of the burning yellow of the sun and the cool black of her hair was beautiful.
"Come on Britt-Britt." She beckoned, using the hand she had grasped my own with to tug me into the busy crowd in the direction she had already mapped out.
I didn't look back to see that the door we had passed through was no longer there.
XXX
We had been walking about twenty minutes when Santana stopped and faced me, completely unconcerned by the crowds still bustling around us. Despite how close the people seemed to get as they strode passed us, they never so much as brushed me.
I had been content, walking along the sunlit streets of New York with Santana holding on to my hand; her grip firm yet somehow still gentle. I realised that it was so she could lead me without the risk of losing me to the hungry sharks swarming around us in business suits, but I still enjoyed it none-the-less.
She looked at me, head tilted to the side in consideration for a moment before speaking. It was weird, we were surrounded by people rushing along the pavement, trying to get to where they need to be, and yet here we were – stood still. Santana seemed to be taking her time looking at me and I couldn't stop my stomach from flipping like it was doing crazy circus stunts.
"Before we go on our adventure, I have to run an errand. You wouldn't mind coming with me would you? It will only be quick, I promise." She told me, looking into my eyes to find out my true thoughts on what she had said.
She must have seen excitement, because that's what I felt. I was getting to go on one of Santana's mysterious errands! If she let me go on this one, then maybe that would mean I could go with her on the other ones and then I could spend all day with her!
"Of course I want to go!" I nodded to emphasise my point.
"Good! Come on then, we don't want to be late." She smiled in what seemed to be relief before tightening her grip on my hand and beginning to tug me through the crowd again.
I couldn't really pick out anything big that could inform me of where we were. Mainly because I had only been to New York once before but also because we were moving so fast I couldn't actually see much passed the hundreds of people surrounding us.
But I recognised the big building we were now walking towards with purpose – it was a court house. There were lots of people in suits outside. Some were entering the building with briefcases; others were milling around outside eating bagels or checking watches or talking quietly, quickly on mobile phones; others, the majority, were grouped together outside of the large double doors, holding cameras and keeping a shifty eye out for something that was apparently about to happen.
I turned to Santana and saw that her impassive expression was in place. I might have been scared by the coldness of if I hadn't still been holding her warm, smooth hand. We began walking up the steps, and the people with the cameras looked at us oddly, as if wondering who we were. As we got closer to them they started shuffling uncomfortably in their spots until they were stepping aside and out of our way.
I glanced at Santana and saw that her face was still looking forward, not even acknowledging the dozens of photographers who moved aside without so much as a words spoken. I tried to smile politely at them in thanks, but they seemed to be avoiding my gaze so I turned my head forward and continued to walk inside the large building with Santana.
Once we were inside I was rather intimidated by how big the lobby was. The domed ceiling was so high that I was almost worried about planes crashing into it. Everything seemed so light, with the sun shining through all of the windows, soft dust motes dancing along their rays. There were people in here too, all dressed in smart clothes, toned-down blacks or greys.
It was at this moment that I realised how inappropriately I was dressed with my bright summers dress. I figured that as long as I was just waiting here then it wouldn't matter too much what I was wearing. Of course, then Santana – who had let go of my hand upon entering the significantly less crowded building – placed her hand on the small of my back as if to guide me further into the building.
I only just managed to hold in my squeak of surprise.
Santana looked at me questioningly then. I wasn't sure if it was my suddenly tensed back that she felt, or if she'd noticed the redness creeping up my neck – or perhaps she could hear the rabbit beating of my heart – who knew the extent of her powers? But she didn't take her hand off of me which lead me to the conclusion that she wasn't aware that it was her touch that had made me react so strangely.
"Are you alright? You seem a bit flushed." She reached over with the hand that wasn't almost touching my backside and felt my burning cheek. I felt absolutely surrounded by everything that was overwhelmingly her. It was marvellous.
"Yeah! I just- I just feel a bit over dressed. I don't want to stand out." I silently congratulated myself on an excellent save.
"Oh. I did not mean for you to feel uncomfortable. Here." She took the hand from my overheated skin and touched her index finger to the large red printed flowers on the wide shoulder strap of my dress.
I watched as she retracted her hand and left a speck of grey in its wake. I was stunned once I realised that the tiny speck of grey was growing, spilling over the flower like ink until it had left a grey flower in its wake. The inky spot continued further down my dress, seemingly missing the white material in between the flowers until my dress was white with grey flowers.
I didn't have much time to look at the new design of my dress when Santana's hand pressed more firmly into my back and began to guide me. I felt the heat of her body close to my side as we walked together up another set of steps.
Santana barely even paused at the sight of the guard or the sign that read 'Court is in Session' and simply glided passed both obstacles and into the room, with me by her side.
It was just like the court rooms that I had seen in the movies. Except that this was real and it seemed to be a really serious case. Was this the person who the photographers were waiting for? I thought as I gazed at the thuggish looking young man currently on the stand.
No one seemed to notice us as we made our way down the isle to a space at the end of one of the long rows of benches where everyone watching the trial sat. I was beginning to wonder if we were invisible. Santana slid onto the bench first, leaving me space to slide in next to her. Our thighs were touching. I swallowed, trying to moisten my dry suddenly throat.
Santana's face was that same impassive expression that I had seen earlier. It was similar to the one that Puck always wore. I wondered what her 'errand' was. She was just watching the trial play out with a disinterested look gracing her stunning face.
I turned to look at what was happening too. The guy on the stand had a really angry looking face. I didn't mean that he was angry. It was more like he had had a hard life and had lived with a lot of anger. He couldn't have been older than twenty and yet he already had frown creases marring his face. His eyes looked cold and distant as if he'd had to get used to shutting bad things out. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
Which was really weird considering that he was on trial for murder.
The judge who was proceeding over everything had white hair and a trimmed white beard – it reminded me of Father Christmas. His glasses were so polished that the light glinting off them was almost blinding. His mouth was turned down into a hardened frown as the prosecutor – a tall, lean man with salt and pepper hair – was giving what must have been a very convincing speech if the reactions of the judge and jury were anything to go by.
I craned my neck to look at the defence lawyer to see how he was reacting to the possibility of losing the case. He appeared to be watching the prosecutor's rant with an amused expression, his platinum blonde eyebrows raised in what appeared to be incredulity.
I heard a quiet murmuring from my right. I focused my hearing on this noise instead of what was happening at the front of the court room.
"Come on, sweetheart. Don't be so cold. I know a way to warm you up…" the gruff voice said. It sounded quite close.
I turned my head to see if Santana had heard it as well. She was just facing forward, her face disinterested.
I leaned forward slightly to try and see who was speaking. My eyes instantly made contact with a set of muddy brown ones. They glinted with something I had never quite seen before from their spot next to Santana. Had this person been talking to Santana?
My mouth quickly turned into a frown at the thought of him saying those disrespectful things to Santana. I wondered briefly why she wasn't reacting at all. I would have thought that she just didn't want to deal with a confrontation if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't even seem to have heard him.
Before I could say anything to defend her though, he was speaking again.
"I'm friends with the defendant. I taught him everything he knows. We both have a thing for pretty girls. Especially vulnerable girls." His gaze turned to me then.
"And especially girls with blonde hair and blue eyes." His slimy smile made me feel gross and dirty, but not as much as his words had.
I saw Santana's nostrils flare, the first sign that she had heard what the slimy man had said.
I watched as she turned – eyes ablaze – towards the skinny man with a grubby face and an even dirtier mind.
I saw her gentle, soft hand grab his ruff, scratchy chin as she turned his face towards her own which was a mere two inches away.
I couldn't see her face because she was turned towards the man sat next to her. I saw his though, as it turned a pasty white and as his mouth open into a pale pink 'o'. His eyes slipped in and out of focus as they widened, the pupils dilating and the whites becoming visible.
Her voice was… deadly. That's the only way that I could think to describe it.
"You ever so much as look at her again and I will make sure that my fingers are the last things you see as they tear your eyeballs from their sockets. Am I making myself clear?"
A vigorous nod.
"Good." She patted his cheek before turning to face the front again.
That was the first time that I had ever thought of Santana as dangerous.
I took one last look at the man – his eyes still dazed, mouth still slightly open – before following suit.
I had turned around mere seconds before a crimson red tear slithered from a dazed brown eye, staining a chalky cheek on its way.
The defence attorney was up now. He seemed to be very friendly and… chipper for someone who was most likely losing a murder trial. He was quite small and appeared at least a couple of decades younger than the other lawyer. His dark complexion was highlighted by his light blonde hair.
I wasn't really following what was happening but from what I gathered, he had killed a young woman who had been on her way home from work.
It was strange how I watched it happen. My eyes kept flicking quickly from the defence lawyers words, to the jury's increasingly shocked and believing faces, then towards the judge, who's face grew increasingly agitated as the jury's grew pleased.
The small man with the blonde hair was tearing the prosecutor's story to shreds. I was utterly shocked at how pathetic it now sounded as the defence explained how this couldn't have happened and how that must be true because blah, blah, blah. I was amazed. And so were the jury.
The only people who didn't seem pleased by this turn of events were the judge and the prosecutor. I could understand the prosecutor being annoyed because he had been made to look like kind of a fool. But what I didn't understand was why the judge looked so disgruntled.
Soon enough, a recess was being called. I saw a large black girl walk up to the defendant and say something to him. I was pretty sure that normal people weren't allowed to walk up to murderers on trial, but no one seemed interested so maybe she was someone important and I just hadn't realised.
When the defendant looked at her he didn't seem so angry any more. He almost looked… relieved.
Everyone was getting up so I stood as well. Santana's hand landed onto the small of my back again as she guided me forward, leaving the still vacant man slumped on the bench.
We were walking towards those little swinging partition things that separated the spectators from the actual case. Everyone else was walking in the opposite direction towards the exit to go and stretch their legs whilst others where milling around in groups, talking to one another about the shocking turn of events in the case; discussing whether or not they thought that the defendant was guilty.
Santana paused just before we reached the gates, turning to look at the bench directly behind where the defendant was sat mere moments before.
Standing up from her seated position on the bench was a small brunette with an oddly large smile on her face considering the situation we were currently in.
"Well hello there Santana. Who's your friend?" her bright eyes seemed to take in everything about me all at once. Her smile had yet to shrink – if anything it appeared to grow the longer I looked at it. It reminded me of the Cheshire Cat's creepy grin.
I felt Santana's hand tense where it rest on my back before it dropped to her side. I felt oddly naked without her comforting, heated touch.
"This is Brittany. Brittany, this is my friend Rachel." The introduction seemed customary and I wouldn't have noticed that anything was wrong with it if Rachel's eyes hadn't widened slightly in was appeared to be shock before she quickly schooled her features once more.
I turned to Santana to see her eyes slightly narrowed and I was really hoping that she wasn't about to do the same thing to Rachel as she did to that creepy man. When my eyes flicked back to Rachel, I noticed the devilish grin that she was now sporting.
"Oh yes. We're the best of friends." I could tell by the way she said it that there was probably some kind of hidden meaning there, but I decided not to question it.
"It's nice to meet you Rachel." I told her, hoping to get the conversation back onto normal tracks.
"You too, Brittany! It's so lovely to see you!" she all but exclaimed, she appeared to be about to rush up and hug me or something, that unnatural enthusiasm tumbling back onto her features. Santana's upheld palm stopped her though.
"Do not even dare. Or I may have to add another couple of hundred years." Her voice was cold and biting.
"I already have a millennia." The girl shrugged seeming unfazed.
I was completely confused by this. But by Santana's harsh stare and the way the girl tripped back a couple of steps made me think that it was some kind of threat, it also made me think that it was worse than Rachel had originally thought.
"Fine then. Shall we go?" she asked, her grin quickly resurfacing as she brusquely trotted through the tiny wooden gates.
"Do you want to stay here Britt-Britt? Because you can if you want." She assured me, her voice back to its soft, caring tone once more. I shook my head; I didn't feel safe without her.
"Okay, come on then." She began to follow Rachel, staying very close to my side as we walked through a door that was to the right of the Judges stand. I had seen the Judge walk through here after the trial had been let out. I realised that this must be what the errand was – talking to the Judge Santa Claus. I still wasn't sure why Rachel was here though.
"What are we doing?" I asked, figuring that the worst that could happen would be Santana saying that I wasn't allowed to know.
But before Santana could answer, Rachel spoke up. She seemed to have gotten over whatever had frightened her earlier.
"We're helping the course of justice. We know that that poor boy on trial is innocent you see." Her tone was too light and happy to be talking about a murder trial. Something about her just… wasn't right. She was unnaturally peppy.
"So you know who did it?" I asked the logical next question, curiosity rearing its head.
She turned to me with a twinkle in her eye.
"Of course! And we're going to let the judge know all about it." There was something about the look in her eyes and the way in which her teeth seemed to gleam when she smiled at me in an almost predatory way; it sent awful chills crawling up my spine.
We had reached the Judges Office door now and Rachel was leaning against it, smiling at us as we stood there as if she had all of the time in the world.
"Hurry up. I did not come down here just to watch you do your job. I do not plan on spending all day here." She seemed impatient. So this wasn't the errand?
"Ugh! Fine!" Rachel rolled her eyes before pausing a second.
I thought that she was purposefully being slow to annoy Santana until I realised that she was changing.
Her hair began to thin out and grow lighter in colour; her features morphed until they we're angular and she grew slightly taller. Once she had finished, she was the blonde haired, blue-eyed girl who I had seen on a photograph being used as evidence.
She winked at me before twisting the door handle and turning her back towards us.
"I know what you did last Summer." was the last thing I heard before the door closed behind her.
Santana abruptly turned towards me as soon as the door had clicked shut, her eyes searching mine.
I knew I was freaking out. Who wouldn't be?
"So, was there anything that you wanted to do when we left here? We can do whatever you want." She told me in that feather-light way that she always seemed to speak to me.
"I'm not sure. Didn't you have anything planned?" she just smiled at me.
"What's the fun in an adventure if it's already planned?" she asked in a teasing kind of way. It made me smile, almost allowing me to forget the creepy girl who had disappeared behind the door in front of us as someone else.
Just then, I head the rattling of a door handle making my eyes snap towards it. I had this horrible feeling of dread, although I couldn't quite put my finger on why I had it.
Rachel emerged from behind the large door then. She was back to being herself and I wasn't sure if I was happy or sad about this. I mean, I wouldn't be sad, that would be weird. But I had one of those feelings between something good and something bad.
She was smiling that same smile again. The way her face seemed so bright and the way her clothes looked too young for her, she should have been cute to look at or someone that would make you want to smile. Instead, I felt strange around her. Like I should be scared but couldn't quite reach the emotion. I think it was because Santana was with me. She made me feel safe.
"You have something on your cheek." I pointed out as soon as I saw it. It was a little black speck high up on her cheek bone. I was positive that it hadn't been there before.
She looked at me slightly startled. She was probably shocked that I had spoken to her after all of the strange stuff she had done, she maybe thought that I was scared of her. I kind of was.
Santana looked like she was about to object to something but before she could Rachel had carelessly swiped at the speck on her cheek, smearing what was apparently liquid.
It wasn't black at all. It was red. A deep crimson red.
Santana mumbled something quietly to herself and Rachel appeared utterly confused for a moment, her eyes darting between my slightly shocked and nauseous gaze to Santana's apparently angry gaze.
"How careless can you be? Today of all days. That is an extra millennia Rachel." Even though I was still unsure as to what a 'millennia' could be referring to, I could tell by the tone of Santana's voice that it wasn't good.
I just wanted to get out of here. My body was heating up in a way that told me I was panicking. I didn't want me or Santana to be here when something bad happened. Or something worse than what had already happened.
Where had the blood come from?
Rachel looked defiant, raising a chin as she looked straight into Santana's angry, swirling eyes. "I told you that extra time hardly bothers me." She almost seemed smug; I didn't think that that would play out very well for her. I felt sort of sorry for her. I liked Santana a lot, even though her character was decidedly questionable, but I wouldn't want to be on her bad side.
"I didn't mean for you. I'll be sure to tell your little girlfriend about her punishment when I see her. In the meantime, stay out of my way."
I was right. Santana was definitely scary when she was angry. Even though I could see that she was scary, I still couldn't bring myself to be scared of her.
Rachel was scared though. Scared and angry. She didn't say anything, she just clenched her jaw together and nodded stiffly.
"Here." Santana said in an offhanded way as she protruded a brown envelope from thin air.
She held it out just in front of her and waited for Rachel to hesitantly lean forward and grasp it.
Santana barely even glanced at Rachel before turning towards me with a kind smile and ushering me out of the suffocating, dark hallway.
Even as we re-entered the brightly lit court room, I still felt like I was suffocating. I just wanted to get as far away from Rachel and that room as possible.
There was no one in the court room. It was only supposed to be a short recess. I supposed that even though it had seemed like hours to me, in reality we were only stood outside of that door for a couple of minutes. Everyone else must have just left, going to stretch their legs or have a drink.
Santana stopped and so I stopped too, even though I really wanted to keep walking. She turned and looked up at me, her chocolate eyes shining with concern.
I felt bad for making her worried. It was only a speck of blood.
There could be a million other possibilities of how it had gotten there other than the one that my over active imagination was conjuring up. It was just that there was something odd about that Rachel, about the whole situation, that made me want to just not be here. I think Santana knew that.
"Come here." Her voice was so soft that I almost thought I had imagined it.
But then she was tugging me closer towards her. And I was being cushioned against the warmth that was her body.
I found it to be strange that, even knowing that she probably had something to do with what happened back there, I couldn't help but to feel incredibly safe and secure in her arms.
"Do you trust me Britt-Britt?" I felt her lips brush against my shoulder when she spoke; I knew that it was because her cheek was super squished against me as she held me.
I just nodded.
"Thank you." I thought that was weird, having someone thank you for trusting them. Trust was something everyone took for granted.
The next thing I knew, Santana was taking this jerky step back and I was being tugged along with her.
I almost flinched when an explosion of sounds pressed down on my eardrums. I opened my eyes which I hadn't realised had been closed and I realised that we were outside on the pavement again; with endlessly busy people brusquely marching passed us.
I loosened my tight grip on the back of Santana's jacket and stood up a little straighter, stepping away from her comforting embrace at the same time.
I looked at Santana to see her smiling sadly up at me. I think that she was disappointed about how our day had turned out. I wished that I could forget about what had happened so that Santana wouldn't be so sad. But it was really hard to. Maybe it was a little belatedly, but I was beginning to wonder just what Santana was.
I knew that she wasn't normal. But even admitting that opened a door to a lot of other questions, so I was trying to keep that door as firmly shut as I could. But the weight seemed to be building up against me; I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep pushing for long.
"I tell you what, Britt-Britt. How about we get some smoothies from this stand that is around the corner and drink them on our way home. We can have an adventure there instead." She was trying to sound chipper. It made me feel even worse, I was spoiling our adventure.
I nodded my head in agreement.
I stepped fully away from her then, dropping my arms to my sides. I felt a small tug at my left wrist as I did so. I looked down to see a ribbon type string tied there. One of the ends from the bow was long and was pulling up towards the sky. I followed it with my eyes until I realised that it was attached to a balloon. The balloon was big and yellow and in the shape of the sun.
That was my first smile since we had left the court room.
I turned to Santana to see an almost bashful smile on her adorable face. I had to trap my bottom lip in between my teeth to try and prevent my smile from overtaking my face.
"Thank you, 'Tana!" I wasn't sure where the nickname had come from, but I think it suited her. She seemed to like it too, if the way her eyes sparkled was anything to go by.
I hesitated slightly, but quickly leaning over and brushing my lips against her smooth, warm cheek. I didn't know what had come over me. She had just looked so adorable.
I pulled away before she had a chance to react, my bottom lip quickly placed in between my teeth again as I waited for her reaction. I knew that it wasn't just the heat from the sun that had made my cheeks tint pink.
She looked slightly dazed, her lips parted in what looked like a mix between shock and awe.
I couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked.
"Which way is the smoothies stand?" I decided not to mention the kiss; I was still blissfully floating in the after effects of it, my lips tingling.
She blinked before turning to walk before pausing, turning around, and walking in the opposite direction.
"It is this way." She sounded weird; I was worried that she was mad at me. But then she glanced at me before quickly looking away, her bashful smile back in place.
I was still a bit shaken up by what had happened earlier, but Santana proved to be a great distraction from all bad thoughts.
We walked down the street, closely side by side. There weren't as many people as there had been earlier, but I still wanted to hold Santana's hand.
I looked at her to see her walking gracefully next to me with a light smile on her face. She was so beautiful. I decided to be daring. It had paid off earlier with the kiss.
I reached out my hand and caught hers mid swing. I was determinedly looking forward so that I didn't have to see any questioning looks that she might throw my way. I just had to pretend that it was perfectly natural, and in a way it was.
I felt her hand tense slightly before relaxing again and swinging both of our hands back and forth. I felt those same tingles shooting up my arm; it was like I had hit my funny bone, except that instead of pain jolting up my arm there was electricity.
I felt almost giddy knowing that this time we were holding hands because we wanted to rather than as a method for us to not lose each other.
Once we reached the stand Santana squeezed my hand to gain my attention, which was pointless seeing as she was the only thing that my attention was focused on.
"What flavour would you like, Britt-Britt?"
I smiled at the kind looking vendor man as he waited for us politely. I twirled my finger in front of the board before stopping randomly to land on a picture of a smoothie.
"I'll have that one." Santana laughed at my choosing method before nodding along and asking the vendor for two.
Once they had been paid for – I had no clue where Santana had procured the money from – we continued along down the street, casually strolling as though we had all of the time in the world. I certainly didn't have any prior arrangements.
"What are we going to do when we get home?" I wondered allowed between sips of my drink.
I glanced over towards Santana, who was holding her own drink in a secure grip; I could see the condensation that lightly covered the plastic slowly rolling down the sloping side of the cup to coat her fingers. She didn't appear to realise but my eyes didn't seem able to move away from the sight.
"Whatever you want." Her voice snapped my attention back to her face. She was still looking forward.
I felt my shoulders shrug. There wasn't really a lot to do at Santana's house. But I could admit that I would feel much safer in the confines of those dark walls than in the open air surrounded by sunshine where people like Rachel could easily brush by you without you ever knowing.
"We will think of something, I am sure of it." I liked the sound of that 'we'.
Once we got back to the door that Santana had led me out of that morning she opened it and again, ushered me through. I couldn't believe how relieved I was to be back here. It was strange how the large empty apartment felt so much like home to me after one short week.
The thought made me think about my parents and how I missed them. I was sure that they were doing fine though. I was sure that they knew Santana, at least my mum did. They should know that I was in safe hands. I wondered briefly if they knew about Santana's… 'oddness'.
When we were inside, I glanced around but couldn't see Sam or Puck. Before I could think about it too much Santana was asking me what I wanted to do.
I thought about it whilst looking at her patient expression. What could we do in a big, empty house with multiple rooms? The answer was so obvious, I didn't know why I hadn't thought of it before.
"Hide and Seek!"
She looked at me for a moment. Then another. Then, "What?"
I rolled my eyes playfully at her dumbfounded expression. How could she not know what hide and seek was?
I explained the rules quickly, excited to start. Once she seemed to have grasped the gist of the game I told her to count while I hid.
I practically sprinted away from her, kicking my shoes off so that I wouldn't make a sound. I knew where I was going to hide straight away.
I pushed the door to her office open quietly and slid inside before slowly pushing it closed. I did a weird mix between a tip-toe and a skip around her desk. I was going to hide in the foot space under her desk. I smiled proudly at myself for my own genius.
Just as I knelt down, my eyes level with the desk, I spotted something that made me pause. I looked at it more closely. And sure enough, resting on top of Santana's desk facing her chair was a photograph of me. I was only young and I was smiling at the camera from my spot on the sand. How had she gotten this?
I heard footsteps and quickly put the framed photo back before scrambling under the desk.
I waited. I heard the footsteps paused. I heard the door open. I stopped my breathing. I heard more footsteps. My face was turning red by the time I heard the sound of something being lifted from the desk. The photo, I thought.
There was a pause and then I saw dark hair slowly being revealed from above the desk. Then a tan forehead came into view; then her sparkling eyes. They were creased at the edges in a way that let me know she was smiling. She must have been laid on the desk because she was looking at me upside down.
I released the breath I had been holding, my cheeks deflating. I was grateful really, and my lungs were too. I could not hold my breath for any increased length of time.
"Finders Keepers." She sing-songed. I pouted.
"That's not what you say in this game." I told her. Her eyes pinched in thought.
"Oh." She said before disappearing and reappearing in front of me, helping me up.
"You stay here and count, and I'll hide this time." She said before swiftly moving out of the room.
I started counting. I looked around her office as I did so.
The picture was gone.
XXX
We played for a while longer. The first time Santana hid I couldn't find her for about half an hour. Then I was getting bored and shouted her name. She was by my side in a second making me jump.
After that she hid in places where it was easier to find her. I knew that she was making it easy for me but I think that if Santana really tried to hide from me then I would probably never find her.
After a while I was getting tired and so when it was my time to hide I went and got ready for bed. When she found me I was hiding under my covers, half asleep.
"Are you sleepy Britt-Britt?" she cooed, tucking me in.
She turned to leave but I caught her hand before she was out of reach. She looked at me, confused.
"Could you stay here until I fall asleep please?" I didn't want to admit it but I was scared that as soon I was left alone to sleep then all of the events of the day would catch up to me.
I really wanted to believe that I was overreacting to the sight of that blood on Rachel's cheek. But something deep inside of me told me that the blood had belonged to the judge.
I watched through droopy lids as she nodded slowly before sitting down in a plush armchair that appeared at the side of my bed. I could only just make out her outline in the darkness of my room.
I let go of her hand and snuggled deeper into the fabric of my pillow.
I felt a warm hand gently stroke aside my hair and a feather light finger delicately trace the side of my face.
"You are safe with me Britt-Britt, I promise." Her words were so quiet, almost as if she was breathing, but I could hear the conviction in her voice load and clear.
"Safe and Sound." She told me as her finger slipped from my face. I didn't open my eyes. I knew that she was still there. I had never felt so safe before.
It was kind of a good job that we didn't have a television and that I was in bed at that moment.
It was at that very moment, just as I was drifting into a wonderland of dreams, that the rest of the world was made aware of the tragic death of Judge Julian Watson.