AN: I am really sorry about the delay! I hope this chapter is okay, I'm not really too sure about it :/ Let me know what you think? Thanks for all of your reviews! I am completely overwhelmed by the response to this story!

XXX

Santana

This was the first night that she had asked me to stay with her.

It wasn't the first night that I had stayed with her, but this was the first time that I was able to look over my little angel with her permission.

The first night that she had been here, slept in this bed. Slept in my bed. I had needed to speak to her parents.

It had been excruciating. I had known that she was here. Finally, after all of these years, I had her close. And yet I was wasting my time speaking to her parents, listening to them tell me what a monster I was and how I would only harm their daughter.

The thought alone made bile crawl up my throat. Harm her? I was trying to do the opposite. But I could not tell them about that; the less that they knew the better.

Anyway, I could almost sense her, curled up in my sheets, alone and vulnerable. It was my need to protect her, I am sure, that spurred me quickly through that particularly aggravating meeting.

As soon as I had gotten home I had bypassed the wolves who were milling around in the kitchen catching up with Sam. None of them spoke to me, they knew that it would not be a good idea to further deter me from reaching her. My skin had tingled at the anticipation of being near her again; being able to physically protect her; see with my own eyes that she was safe.

She was finally mine. My Britt-Britt.

Oxygen ceased to exist in my mind – I ceased to exist in my mind as I pushed open the door, the heavy, sturdy wood feeling feather-light under my palm. Physical barriers could not keep me away anymore.

My senses had been instantly immersed in all that was Brittany. I almost cried at the sight of her, slumbering like a princess, destined to sleep a dreamless sleep for a thousand years in the highest tower of her castle.

Her cheeks were rosy; her brow smooth without the burden of earthly worries; her hair a golden halo, protecting her from sinners and evil.

I brushed it aside as I appeared beside her, cradling her delicate, cool face in my heated palm. If I had been breathing, then I was certain that the sight of her would have made my breath catch in my chest, somewhere near my dormant heart that appeared to swell to life after a lifetime of nothingness.

She was beautiful.

I quietly sat down in the armchair that I had unconsciously created and gazed upon with a reverence that I had not experienced since that night that had changed the meaning of my existence a short seventeen years ago. A short seventeen years that had felt like a long seventeen millennia. That was how torturous time was when I was apart from her.

I had meant to watch over her, just for that first night. Just to soothe my hectic nerves and to assure myself that she was safe. That I had so far succeeded in my task to protect her.

I had stayed until morning light was just breaking through the window, claiming her for the day. The hours had passed like milliseconds and I had not yet managed to soothe my nerves. My chest still felt tight when I looked at her and my stomach would randomly clench whenever I noticed something new about her. Each miniscule marking upon her features would leave its imprint on my useless heart.

I knew that I had to leave. Even though I assumed that the feelings pulsing through my frozen insides were warning me of a danger that I was not yet aware of, I knew that it could not be anything of immediate importance. Besides, I was sending Sam in to help ease her into her new life.

It was only supposed to be for the first night…

But the next night I could not help but think of her soft face, and how fragile she had felt in my arms that day, despite the fact that she now towered over me with her awkward, gangly form. Then there was that strange, unfamiliar sensation coursing through my insides every time I gazed upon her perfection.

I was almost certain now that the feeling was not a forewarning of some invisible danger, but I was curious to find out exactly what it was.

I returned to her room – my room – that night to try and satiate my curiosity. If anything, it further fuelled my desire to see her, protect her.

So I returned again, secretly. And again. Until today, when she had asked me to stay.

She had asked me to stay because she was scared. She was scared because of me, even if she didn't see it like that.

Stupid Rachel.

I had sensed Brittany's growing boredom. But more so, I had felt the growing sense of helplessness; uselessness. I had had Brittany for a week and I was wasting my time with her. After the annoyance I had felt with Susan over wasting her own time with her daughter, I was doing the exact same thing. I could almost physically feel my time with her slipping away from me.

It is not fair. Susan had her for seventeen years. How long will I have her for? I thought petulantly to myself.

Susan did not realise how lucky she had been.

Now I had to make Brittany want to stay with me. I thought about this as I watched her sleep. The room we were in was dark, the only source of light coming in the form of the pale whispers of silver moonlight bathing her in its other worldly glow. Despite the minimal light, my view of her was not hindered in the slightest. I could see her innocent beauty clearly and was awed by it. The way that she was cloaked by the woolly darkness surrounding us, it gave me a sense of peace knowing that she was safe in the midnight haze of her dreams.

I had thought that gradually revealing who I am to her would mean that she would be more comfortable with me by the time that she was to ask that one particular question that would propel that Tina girl into our lives.

I had hoped that I could get her to want to stay by the time she found out the truth about me. I had assumed that today would be a small step to revealing that I was not out doing bad deeds on my errands. I had also assumed that by satisfying her curiosity, I would have bought myself some time before she would summon her friend.

Rachel had done an excellent job of halving that time.

Now she was probably as curious as ever, and assuming that I was dangerous.

How can I protect her if she is scared of me?

I would have to take a new approach. The wolves would be back today from their 'trip'. Hopefully if Brittany grew attached to them then she would find it harder to leave.

I studied her as she lay before me. Her hair splayed around her slim shoulders and her mouth opened in a small pink 'o'. She was cute – adorable.

Every time I looked at her, I saw her as the little girl who had snuggled up to me when she was three and had showed me her toys with that kind of excitement that could only be expressed by a child. I remembered her small weight as she had sat on my lap.

It was comforting – having her close and seeing that she was safe.

I looked at her now and saw that same child. She was still a cute little baby in my eyes.

I was not sure where this protectiveness had come from. I had never felt it before with anyone but her.

I would sacrifice my existence so that she could live.

Even if I didn't know why, I was positive that it was important that she lived.

It felt odd, knowing that I was in charge of another beings life. It was different with the pups. I did not allow them to show weakness. If they could not protect themselves, then they died. It was as simple as that.

I watched as the sun clawed its way up my bed towards her slim form, ready to take her from me for another day.

I stood up and moved towards the curtains, physically closing them with my hands rather than manipulating them shut.

You cannot take her from me. Not yet.

I was not ready to give her up to the light of day. I wanted her to rest peacefully with me for a while longer. I turned back to look at her slumbering form nestled into my unused covers.

I was able to sleep but hadn't enjoyed the luxury in centuries.

She was beginning to stir despite my efforts.

I almost wept as I disappeared from her room, once again allowing the lightness to steal her from me.

XXX

Brittany

When I woke up that morning it was to my empty room.

I hadn't assumed that Santana would be there but there was still a slight tingle of disappointment that I couldn't wake up and stare straight into her honest, brown orbs. there was this strange lingering feeling, some strange tinge to the air that told me that maybe she hadn't left straight after I had fallen asleep. I knew that that was stupid though.

I blinked my eyes sleepily before slowly sitting up in my still dark room. I looked over towards the curtains; they were quite thick so it was difficult to tell what time of day it was with them fully closed. I usually opted to keep them partially open. I must have forgotten to last night, what with Santana being here. A lazy smile stretched across my face at the thought of my day with her yesterday. It had been amazing to spend the day with her, even if there had been a couple of creepy points. She was really great and super sweet.

I lifted my arms up in the air, my back bowing slightly as I tried to touch the ceiling in an attempt to work all of the kinks out in my back. Once that task had been accomplished I swung my legs out of bed and sluggishly shuffled across my room towards my wardrobe, the fluffy socks coating my feet allowing me to shuffle with as little friction as possible along the hardwood floor.

I took my time getting changed, ready for a relaxing day inside whilst I waited for Santana to come home from wherever she had probably ran off to this time.

Soon I was shuffling through the hallways, my fingers trailing along the walls to either side of me, as I made my way to the kitchen.

Just as I was outside of the kitchen, I heard a collection enthusiastic voices. that was weird in itself as the only enthusiastic person other than me was Sam. Besides, Puck never spoke so it couldn't have been him and Santana was only ever enthusiastic when it was the two of us. I don't think that she liked the thought of people thinking she was a softie. She let me see that side to her though.

I decided to go into the kitchen, my resolve strengthening when I heard that one of the voices definitely belonged to Sam.

The first thing I noticed were the large dogs. I mean, they were huge. There were two of them – fluffy, snow white dogs. More like wolves really. Maybe they were cross bred.

Before I even thought to be scared of them they were stood in front of me, wagging their tails. I put my hand out to pet the larger one's head and the smaller one – who seemed more enthusiastic – started trying to put his head in the way of my hand. I laughed as I stuck my other hand out to give the small one equal attention. The big one was already sat down by then, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a kind of dopey looking way. I giggled again.

"Hello, you two. What are your names?" I sing songed in that way that everyone seems to talk to dogs. I couldn't help it though, I thought they were adorable.

"Hey Britt, you're up!" I heard Sam call out to me, making me look towards where he was standing.

He was leaning against the counter talking to this Asian guy with blonde hair. Puck was cooking breakfast, sans shirt as per usual; I was used to that by now though.

I looked at Puck's platinum blonde Mohawk and then back to the lanky guy's equally bright blonde hair. then my eyes travelled to Sam's mop of blonde hair; it wasn't striking like the others because of his fair skin but it was just as blonde. A thought came to me then as I flicked my own blonde hair behind my shoulder whilst I straightened from my crouched position.

Was this a cult?

The thought was discarded as soon as it entered my mind. A cult Brittany? Really?

A strange blonde haired cult was the oddest thing even for my mind to come up with. It was the closest thing to a solution that I had come to about why I was here. I shook myself slightly to stop myself from carrying on down that particular thought track, I didn't want to think about why I was here.

"Hey, Sam." I said as I walked over to the island and sat down in my usual seat. Puck placed a plate of sliced up watermelon in front of me. "Thanks Puck!" I told him, receiving the same smile that I always got in return.

"Britt, this is Mike." Sam told me, gesturing towards the guy he was talking to.

"Hi Brittany, it's a pleasure to meet you." Mike said to me. It was there again. that same smile that I got from Puck and Sam that seemed to trickle into their eyes and shine through a message of protection. I couldn't help but smile back at the friendly boy.

"Hello. it's nice to meet you too, Mike. Are the dogs yours?" I asked, noticing that the dogs were now seated on the floor, either side of me. The little one seemed to give out a little huff as if trying to answer my question.

"No they aren't mine." he and Sam appeared to be amused by the assumption. "I suppose you could say that they're Santana's." He told me gesturing with his head towards the door just before it opened to reveal Santana gliding in looking completely fresh faced despite her disinterested expression. I didn't understand how she could wake up in the morning looking perfect whilst the rest of us looked groggy and lifeless.

Her cool mask broke when she saw me and my heart fluttered slightly out of balance as she sent me a warm smile.

"Good morning, Britt-Britt. You slept well, I hope." she queried as she came to a stop at the end of the kitchen island, about a foot away from me. I noticed that one of the dogs was sniffing around her feet before sitting by her legs. the smaller dog walking around the back of my chair to sit next to the big one.

"Yes thank you. I didn't know that you had dogs. They're really big." I said, and it was true. Even the smaller one was bigger than basically all of the dogs I had seen.

"Yes, well they are not really my... dogs. I do not own them, but they do stop by every once and a while. Mike has just taken them on a trip to this little cottage which he owns."

As she explained she reached down towards the dopey dog sat by her feet and brought her hand to rest under his muzzle, raising his face towards hers as she bent down slightly so that their faces were closer together. She used her hand to slowly twist his face from side to side as if inspecting him. Her penetrating eyes however, remained firmly locked with the dogs gaze. The other dog didn't bustle forward like it had done with me, but instead stayed sat in his spot almost as if he was being respectful towards Santana.

She broke gazes with the dog and blinked slowly as she stood straight, petting him on the head as she did so. I watched as the dog also blinked slowly as if coming out of a daze. Santana then moved passed the dog and petted the other one that remained seated still as she moved towards Sam and Mike.

"How was the trip Mike?" she asked as she took his chin gently between her forefinger and thumb.

My stomach clenched in a horribly sickening way as my heart pounded in my temples, blood rushing in my ears as my cheeks burned. Where they going to- ? She said she didn't have a boyfriend. I told myself to calm down, I was completely over reacting. So what if she was with Mike? So what? It wasn't as if she liked me any way.

I looked back over to see Santana turning Mikes head from side to side, just like she had with dopey.

"It was fine." He said, voice almost monotone as he stared back into her eyes. Not lovingly, they weren't looking at each other lovingly.

I sighed, stuffing watermelon in my mouth to cool my flaming cheeks as the nauseous feeling subsided. I was slightly worried now that my little crush for Santana was quickly growing stronger rather than lessening. Great, I thought sarcastically. Unrequited feelings were definitely what I needed right now.

"Good." Santana's voice brought me back out of my thoughts and into the present where watermelon juice was dripping down my chin.

I quickly wiped it away whilst trying to swallow the mouthful of watermelon without choking.

"Hey Britt-Britt, what do you think about going out today? When you have finished your breakfast, of course." Her slender arm came around my shoulders to squeeze me into her side. I didn't know how she had gotten to my side so quickly but it was enough of a shock to leave my speechless for a few moments as I turned my head to look up at her shining face.

Her smile seemed to grow as she gazed down at me. She brought her thumb up to her mouth, soft lips parting to allow access to the awaiting heaven. I couldn't tear my eyes away as her thumb reappeared out of the mysterious cavern, gleaming in the sunlight shining through the windows. I watched, enraptured, as it slowly descended – inch by inch – towards my chin, coming to a rest just below my bottom lip before gliding back and forth.

All my mind could think was: Santana's saliva is touching me. In my apparently hormone riddled brain, this was supposedly a good thing.

If I had looked at the situation from an outside perspective I would have realised that Santana was in actual fact, treating me like a child. Something which I became aware of as she pulled back and ruffled my hair.

"You had some sticky watermelon juice on your chin." She told me in an amused tone, nose crinkling as she smiled.

I felt my cheeks getting hot again.

"I'll go and brush my teeth." I said as I slipped off of my chair and began shuffling towards my room. I paused realising that I was still in sweatpants and a tank top. "Where are we going? What should I wear?" I asked, turning around at the door.

"What you have on is lovely, Britt-Britt. And I cannot tell you where you are going because that would spoil the surprise." She told me, seeming almost proud with herself about something. She was adorable.

XXX

It didn't take me long to be ready. Soon enough we were heading out of the door.

And by we I meant me, Santana... and Mike.

He was strolling beside me as we walked down the sunny street, Santana was walking closely to my other side, our arms brushing with every other step we took. I kept my gaze forward and continued to walk even through I had no idea where we were going.

Mike was wearing a similar outfit to me, except that he was wearing a t shirt instead of a vest top; it made me feel better about dressing so casually. Santana was wearing black jeans and a baggy red vest top under her leather jacket. This different style of clothing should have been the first thing to tip me off to the fact that Santana wasn't staying with us, wherever we were going.

I didn't mind that I was going to be left with Mike. I had barely spent any time with him but already I felt safe with him, comfortable. I liked him with the same ease and familiarity that I liked Sam and Puck. It was strange. I was glad that Santana seemed to have good taste in friends.

Anyway, I didn't mind that I was going to be left alone with Mike. But I was again disappointed that I wouldn't be spending time with Santana.

I looked over towards her now, from where we were walking. I was struck again by how beautiful she was. I wondered what other people thought when they passed her on the street. Where they stunned? Did they wish that they were in my place, walking next to her? I am almost positive that if I had seen her in the street that I would have stopped dead in my tracks just to watch her walk passed me. I felt so lucky to have her walking beside me, close enough to touch. I tentatively reached my hand out towards her own as it swayed at her side, looking forward as our skin grazed.

I didn't see her turn her head towards me but I felt her squeeze my fingers as they wrapped around her small, heated hand.

"So are you excited to find out where we're going Britt?" Mike asked as he strode beside us, an easy smile on his face.

"Yup! Why? Are we nearly there?" I asked excitedly, tugging on his shirtsleeve as I did a little hop.

"Maybe..." He sang, deliberately darting his eyes around to look shifty. He laughed when I hit his arm.

"Mike don't tease her." Santana chided playfully as we turned to head into one of the many tall buildings surrounding us. It looked quite posh, just like the rest of the buildings in this area did.

"This place looks pretty." I noted as I looked around the golden lobby. Everything was cream trimmed with gold. I was pretty sure that my sweats were not regulation wear for somewhere as nice as this.

"Come on." Santana beckoned, tugging at my hand as she stepped into the elevator, Mike following us.

Santana pressed a button and the doors slid closed. The ride up was short, Mike pulling a different face every time I looked at him making me try and mirror him. I felt Santana playing with my fingers as I giggled at a particularly funny face that Mike had pulled.

We stepped out and into a reception area. Santana walked straight up to the receptionist and began murmuring to her. The girl had seemed quite startled when she had looked up to see Santana looking down at her. I wasn't surprised, I guessed that this was the reaction that Santana got wherever she went.

Whilst we were stood back a bit waiting for them to finish their conversation Mike started to jump up and down on the balls of his feet slightly. I looked at him curiously but he just smiled and pushed me lightly in the shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I tried to push him back but he jumped out of the way. He put his finger to his lips in the universal sign for being quite.

"C'mere." he gestured for me to follow him and started to half walk, half tip-toe away. I followed suit.

We ended up in front of these big glass doors. We looked in and what I saw made my heart leap in happiness. Dancing! People were dancing!

"Awesome, huh?" he said as he gestured towards them. I nodded.

"Is this what we're doing? Dance class?" I asked with increasingly mounting excitement.

"You guys ready then?" I heard her voice from behind me, causing me to turn around and see Santana stood there looking at me with a small smile playing at her lips.

Mike answered 'yes' for the both of us and we entered the room behind Santana who swept in like she owned the place.

The dancers stopped at the intrusion and looked up towards Santana as she strode up towards the dance teacher with her natural confidence.

I watched their faces as they tracked her progress across the room. The average age of the students appeared to be nineteen or twenty. Seventeen year old Santana should have been intimidated by their intense stares; I knew that I was. But Santana had told me that she wasn't seventeen, so I guess that that was the reason that she paid the 'older' dancers no mind. I couldn't really say the same about myself when they looked at me, I had to admit that I did shrink into myself slightly but I was too excited about dancing to truly care about the twenty-two dancers looking on appraisingly at us. Already judging.

Mike slung his arm around my shoulder as we followed Santana up to where the teacher was stood at the head of the class. He was one of those typical grey hair and spectacle types that carries a stick to keep the beat but could still dance like a pro.

"Miss Lopez! How absolutely charmed I am to see you again!" he spoke in a foreign accent just as I had expected. This was obviously an expensive school and people always felt that they got an authentic, better quality education in the arts if their teacher was European.

"Jaques." Santana said with a nod of her head. "I trust that you will treat your two new students the same as you treat the others." she spoke softly looking down at a wristwatch that hadn't been there before. "I really have to go, I will be back for the end of the lesson." She started waking away before she finished the sentence and smiled and winked at me as she spoke the second half. I think everyone was watching her as she strutted out of the room.

We all snapped to attention at the loud clapping of Jaques at the front of the room.

"Alright you two introduce yourselves. Name, Age, Where You Come From!" he pointed to the both of us before curling his finger in a 'come hither' gesture.

I looked over to the rest of the class as we approached the centre of the room. They were all huddled into a group in the middle of the room where they must have gathered to converse during the little break that they were allowed.

"You go first." He pointed towards Mike.

"Mike. Nineteen. New York." he said, not in a friendly way but not in an unfriendly way either. He simply said them as the facts that they were.

"You." A hand was flicked in my direction.

"Brittany. I'm Seventeen and I come from Ohio." I told them smiling. My smile shrunk slightly once the objections started.

"What? Seventeen?"

"Jaques, she's seventeen and she's from Ohio! What training can you possibly get in Ohio?"

"This is an advanced class."

"Half of us are attending Julliard for Christ's sake!"

"Enough!" everyone stopped as Jaques spoke. I had held onto the bottom of Mike's shirt as he had started to move towards them. I saw his neck muscles jumping.

"They will both have auditions just like everyone else. I will decide who is good enough or not in this class."

We were told that we would take it in turns dancing to a piece of music that would be randomly selected. I was excited again. As much as I wanted the other kids to like me. I wanted to dance a whole lot more. This was why I was here. I couldn't wait to freestyle for someone other than the wall length mirror at home.

Home.

The thought brought me up short. I had thought of Santana's house as my home... The thought made me want to see my parents even more.

Mike was up first. It was a classical piece. He was really good at free styling, he would do all of these awesome hip-hop moves but to the slow rhythm of the piece. He got appreciative looks from both Jaques and the rest of the class. I noticed the looks on the girl's faces, they definitely appreciated his moves. Mike didn't seem to notice though, he just gave me a thumbs up when he was finished before bounding up to me and giving me a high ten.

"Good luck." he said, patting my back as he nudged me forward.

I stood at the front of the room and looked to the floor as I waited for the music to start so that I wouldn't be distracted by anything.

It began. I smiled. I remembered this being one of the many songs that I had danced to whilst in the mirrored room. It had a slow build up of string instruments until the big bang of a beat that started the rhythm.

I remembered my ballet lessons when I was younger before I had started branching out into other styles of dance. I remembered the pirouettes I used to do with practised ease. I did a small one to make sure I had the hang of it still. Once I landed I heard a scoff. I ignored it though, smiling to myself as I set out to do another one, keeping my head lifted for perfect balance. I twisted, this time when I saw the spot on the wall that told me I had completed a full circle I barely stepped my foot down before setting off into another. My spins slowly built up with the violins and cellos until my second foot wasn't touching the floor at all. I felt like a tornado.

Then there was the big bang that I had been waiting for. I felt it more than heard it and my body moved with it. I turned into hip-hop as I faintly heard the guys in the song rapping. I was more concentrated on the beat, I just let my body take over, not thinking about a move until I was already doing it. I never felt more free than when I was dancing. It was especially refreshing now that I always seemed to be cooped up.

Before I knew it, the song had ended and the weightless feeling in my chest became slightly heavier without the strange in-between-ness of dancing to distract from it. I realised that I was breathing heavily and that my hair had landed in front of my face after the final spin. I took in a large breath and used it to blow my hair out of my eyes.

I turned to look at the other students. The boys seemed impressed so I guessed that I had done something right, but the girls just looked disgruntled. Mike was holding his thumbs up making me smile. Mike was a great dancer, if he thought that I'd done well then I must have. I glanced at Jaques as I made my way back over to where Mike was standing. His expression was controlled but when I reached the others he spoke to everyone.

"Okay then class we have two new members! Let's get back to work." he clapped his hands twice and everyone but me and Mike got into their positions.

"You two can watch for now and then I expect you to join in after a couple of run-throughs." he told us before starting the music and hitting his stick against the floor in rhythm.

After one run though I had gotten the gist of the routine, it was repetitive in places and clearly focusing on certain moves that the class must have recently learnt. I glanced over to Mike as Jaques was just starting to count the beat with his stick again. He was looking back at me and when I caught his gaze he smirked and raised his eyebrows in a challenge. I smirked back and we both stepped forward at the same time and into the dance routine. It was really fun having to focus my mind on specific steps rather than simply doing whatever like I had been doing for the past week. It felt like I was truly testing myself again.

Once we'd run through it a few more times Jaques showed us a new move to master before adding a new section to the routine.

It wasn't long until the lesson had ended and we were all reminded that the next lesson would be later this week.

"Hey. Brittany, right? I'm Lana." I turned to see a light brown haired girl smiling at me happily.

"Yeah, hi. I saw you dancing in class. You were really good!" I told her. It was true, I think she was possibly the best dancer out of all of the other girls in the class.

"Thanks. I was nowhere near as good as you though." she told me smiling somewhat shyly. She leaned closer before whispering. "I just wanted to tell you not to bother about the other girls in the class if they seem stand-offish. they were like that with me when I first started coming and they realised that I was better than them. It takes them a while to stop being jealous but they'll get over it. Oh! And the fact that Mike is a hunky piece of dancing man meat." she winked.

I looked over to where Mike was getting some water. Half of the girls were over there talking to him but he seemed completely disinterested. I turned back towards Lana to see her wiggling her eyebrows at me. I frowned at her.

"What does Mike's... hunkiness have anything to do with the fact that they don't like me?"

"Errr... because you're dating? Wait. You are dating aren't you?" Now we were both confused.

"No. God no!" I wasn't offended or anything, I was just kind of shocked that she had reached that conclusion.

"Oh! Sorry. Everyone just assumed... Is he dating that outrageously pretty, intimidating girl then?"

"No!" Okay, that was more intense than I had anticipated answering. "Sorry. I mean no, they aren't going out. We're all just friends. Like family." I added, trying to salvage the conversation.

Fortunately she just seemed amused.

"I'm sounding ridiculously weird right now, aren't I?" I sighed.

"Kinda. It's cool though. We'll be friends, you and I." she said knowingly. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that I hadn't messed up with my rambling. I had made a friend.

I just nodded in response. Trying to play off my happiness.

"Hey Britt!" Mike called to me, beginning to walk over. I saw the dance girls throw me the stink eye. I looked back at Lana and she just nodded in confirmation, mockingly solemn. It made me laugh.

"Britt we should probably go now. Santana's outside." Mike stopped next to me whilst still drinking his water.

"Sure!" I said, immediately excited to see Santana again.

"I'll come down with you. My mum should be outside by now anyway." Lana said as she took a gulp of her own water.

"Where's everyone getting water from? I'm thirsty!" I couldn't help pouting slightly.

Mike just rolled his eyes and handed his water over to me. I took a greedy gulp and we started walking over to the elevator.

"Oh, Mike this is Lana. Lana, Mike." I gestured between them both as I introduced them to each other.

"Hey." Lana said politely.

"Hi." he held his hand out, bending down to seem less intimidating. "It's nice to meet you." he smiled once she took his hand and shook. I noticed that his eyes looked really open and innocent when he smiled genuinely. Not that he ever smiled un-genuinely. Mike seemed like the type of person who didn't bother smiling if he didn't want to. Lana was blushing prettily.

When we reached the lobby I speed walked outside, impatient to see Santana.

The brightness of the sun outside hit me as soon as I stepped through the doors. I blinked rapidly, my head spinning from side to side as I looked for her. Once my eyes had adjusted to the light, I saw her.

She was looking all kinds of sexy, leaning against the wall of the building with big sunglasses shading her eyes. She pushed herself off when she noticed me.

"Hey Britt-Britt." She said softly, happily as she walked over to me.

"Hi 'Tana." I let the giant grin spread across my face as I all but pounced on her.

I don't know if it was the endorphins from the exercise dancing around in my body or the fact that she looked really pretty stood waiting for me, but I couldn't stop myself from squeezing her extra hard as I hugged her. I hoped that I didn't smell of sweat. I felt her arms around my back and felt inexplicably complete. I let out a breath that I didn't realise I had been holding, feeling suddenly lighter as my body melted into hers.

"Hey Santana." Mike said, announcing his arrival. I reluctantly pulled away.

I noticed that Lana was still standing with him and was happy that I got to introduce my new friend to Santana.

"Lana this is my friend Santana." I left my hand on Santana's shoulder wanting, no needing, to feel her still. To make sure that she was still there next to me. Santana pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head.

I saw Lana give her apparently ever-ready smile and hold her hand out towards Santana. "Hi!"

Santana's face seemed impassive, appraising even, as she looked over Lana as though she was some form of competition that she was preparing to fight. I squeezed her shoulder.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Lana." She reached out and grasped the other girl's hand, giving her a blinding smile.

"You too." She seemed flustered.

"Lana honey! Be quick dear! I still have to pick your brother up!" A women who I assumed was her mother shouted from her car window.

"Coming!" Lana shouted back.

"I guess I'll see you next class. Bye!" She darted off towards her mum's car, brown ponytail swaying in her wake.

"How did your dance class go?" Santana asked as we started walking down the street.

"Great!" Mike and I both said at the same time. Santana chuckled.

"Good. Come on you two, we can get a treat. I know a place where the lollipops are 100% fruit juice." She said, guiding us both down the street.

My hand found it's way into her smooth, warm one again as we walked.

XXX

A little while later and we were back home again. Santana had put a movie on via her newly acquired flat screen television. It was inside one of the many empty rooms that seemed to magically have new items inside when Santana was the one to open the door.

We were sat on a cushy sofa as the television that almost took up an entire wall began playing whatever movie Santana had picked out. I could barely see her face in the flicker of television light. I snuggled closer to her under the pretence of being cold. She didn't seem to mind though, she simply put her arm around me and allowed me into the little nook that felt as though it was created just for me.

I rested my head on her chest, feeling my entire body heating up from the constant warmth that she emitted and at the thought of being this close to her. I was aware – just as I was when she had read to me – of the utter silence that I experienced whilst resting my head against her chest. It was that kind of feeling that you get when you place your ear against a sea shell and can hear the ocean. Only this time, what I could hear was more like a deep rumbling of fire in the hollow space where her heart should be beating. I chose to ignore it, just like most of the things that I found odd about Santana. I knew that I couldn't handle the truth right now.

"Hey, is this Twilight?" I asked, amused at noticing the girl I had seen on all of the movie posters now occupying the screen in front of us.

"Yes. Why, have you seen it before? I had heard that this was the 'movie to watch' for teen girls. And what with you being a teen girl I had assumed that you would enjoy it. We can watch something else if you would like." She seemed really apologetic.

"No. It's fine. I haven't watched it but I'm sure that it's fun to watch. I might as well see what all of the fuss is about." I assured her, settling in to watch the movie.

Once it had ended, the lights in the room slowly turned on. I sat up to turn to look at Santana. She seemed rather confused.

"What did you think?" I asked, wanting to know what the confused expression meant.

"I am... not sure. Granted, for the most part the acting was terrible. I mean, I have only seen plays and even that was a while ago but I am certain that acting could not have become that stiff." She paused, seeming to grasp for the reason why she was so confused but it seemed to be evading her.

"I suppose that I found the plot to be aggravating. This Edward character appears to be completely selfish to me. He created a romantic entanglement with this girl whilst knowing both the risk to her and potentially to his clan members. Not to mention the fact that he was around one hundred years her senior. Also, other than physical attributes, I really see no reason why the Bella girl appears to be so taken with him, he is essentially evil." Her gaze seemed to drop as she said the last word. "How could anyone like him. Let alone trust him." She spoke mostly to herself.

"Well, personally I think that if a person looks and acts young then it is silly to put a number on things. Besides, he was really sweet to her. No one can fight love when it's your soul mate." I was really trying to get her to warm to the idea of maybe liking me the way I liked her. But her being so age conscious was not helping my case. I was guessing by the way that she talked - among other things - that maybe she was quite a bit older than she looked.

"I suppose. If you believe in soul mates." She didn't seem convinced and I suspected that she was trying to not hurt my feelings.

"Hey, let us get you to bed. I will tuck you in when you are ready."

What?

How could her wanting to 'tuck me in' frustrate me and excite me at the same time?

On the one hand: she must really think of me as a little baby. Whilst on the other hand: her hands will be touching me, whilst I'm in bed.

XXX

Once I was ready and lying down in bed waiting to be 'tucked in', I realised that if I wanted Santana to see me as a potential- what? Girlfriend? Partner? Mate? Lover?

Hell if I knew. I just wanted to kiss her.

Anyway, if I wanted her to be my anything then I would have to get her to see me as an adult. A sexual being. I was going to be sexy and alluring and completely hot. So hot and sophisticated that she won't be able to keep her hands off of me.

Operation: Be Sexy And Get Santana's Hands On Me And Not My Bed Sheets – is a go.

"Hey Britt-Britt, are you all ready?" Santana asked in her soft, raspy voice as she brought my covers up around me, tucking a midnight curl around her ear as she gazed down at me softly.

I nodded, trying to make sexy eyes but they just ended up being droopy. I was really tired.

I felt Santana's warm, soft lips press to my forehead and I smiled up at her.

"Hey Britt-Britt, I was wondering if you would want to go to the circus sometime soon?"

I gave her a blinding smile before nodding my head vigorously and drifting off to sleep.

Damn it. Well sexy just flew straight out of the window.