A/N: Finally the time has come! I personally enjoyed writing and reading this chapter. This chapter was the whole reason why I wanted to write this fic and it was planned way back in April. I hope you'll like it as much as I did writing it. Thank you for the kind reviews! They made me want to complete this story. So thank you and review if you want to! :)

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Chapter 7 – Heart to Heart

Brittany was here, standing in direct view in front of you. With another blonde guy.

You didn't know exactly how you felt when you saw that. Was it jealousy? Was it surprise? You didn't know. All you knew at that moment was that she had a date and you don't. The Old-Fashioned in your hand was long forgotten the moment you saw them.

You could have sworn you saw how guilt-ridden she was when she saw you see her with him. Brittany just stood there in the middle of the dance floor still holding on to the guy but not as tightly as when you first saw them. You could see that she was contemplating on whether to let go or just keep holding because judging from your expression, she could have thought that you were also confused about everything.

However, she soon let go of him and awkwardly placed her hands in front her. The guy turned to her and spoke some indistinct words to which she awkwardly nodded and gave a tight smile to. You were expecting him to at least give a peck on the cheek before he walked away but it never happened. He only patted her back lightly before walking off to meet the other attendees.

By now, you had already turned around in your chair and ordered a Manhattan. You also knew that she would walk up to you in a few, most probably to tell you who that mystery blonde was. When your drink came, you did not instantly sip on it but began playing with the cherry in it. You were so concentrated on swirling the cherry in the glass that you did not realized that Brittany was standing next to you.

"Hey," she shyly greeted.

You looked up at her and just plastered a tight smile on your face, not sure if your brain was functioning properly to form words. She asked you if the seat next to you was taken and you just shook your head, not even looking at her but staring at your drink. Brittany could feel the awkwardness surrounding the both of you as she sat down.

"Why didn't you reply my text?" she asked, sounding a little upset but not wanting to hear the actual reason to why you did not reply her.

You simply shrugged your shoulders and immediately threw her back a question. "Who was that guy?"

"Santana," she dragged your name out, sounding a little exasperated. "Sam's my roommate."

"Who is he?" you repeated, this time demanding the exactly relations she had with him.

"He's just my friend, c'mon San, why are you being like this?" she replied.

You refused to answer her question because honestly, you yourself didn't know why you were acting like that. All you think you know was you had a stupid little crush on her that might have grown over the period of time. Brittany let out an audible sigh before standing up and walking back to the dance floor since you did seem like you were going to answer anytime soon.

McKenzie suddenly appeared right next to you shouting excitedly over the speakers about how there was a pool at the back. Still feeling a little upset about the earlier situation with Brittany, you just threw McKenzie a tight smile and a small nod. You told her to hit the pool if she wanted to which made her all excited like a five year old and left you alone at the bar thinking about what had just happened.

Then, you heard your name over the same speakers that were blasting some hip hop music and also a few of your tracks. The DJ called you up onto the stage to give a short speech and also congratulate you on your success in the music industry. The crowd had been cheering on you since the moment you stepped on stage until you were off it. There was also a huge cake just for you in front of the stage. Apparently, Quinn was the one responsible for the event and surprises that were in store.

It was definitely a surprise for sure.

"So? How'd you like the party?" Quinn approached you with a couple of drinks, handing one of them out to you.

"Perfect," you said solemnly. "Thank you, Quinn. I really appreciate all you've done for me."

You stepped forward and gave her a hug. After pulling away, she told you to have fun as she walked away to join your other gay best friend with his plus one. You were still wondering how and why he chose that Blaine guy whom you first met on tour. Apparently, you were able to find love even on the weirdest of places, in his case, your tour.

You were left all by yourself again but this time, one the dance floor, scanning the crowd for any familiar faces. But Brittany's roommate who if you recalled correctly, was seen in one of your video calls with Brittany, was standing diagonally tin front of you. No surprises Brittany was there in his arm. You felt your jealousy grow even stronger as you observed how adoringly he held her. Part of you wanted to snatch Brittany away from him but the other part of you felt like they were perfect for each other, no matter how much you wished you were him.

/

The party was little too noisy for you and people were getting way too drunk that they began groping you left and right. Having had enough of it, you made your way out of the club and stood on the sidewalk for a moment, trying to clear your mind before heading back in. You reached into your purse and took out a pack of cigarettes. Fitting one in between your index and middle fingers, you put the pack away and retrieved a lighter from the bottom your purse to light the stick.

A few puffs later, you heard the door behind you opened followed by the loud music from inside the club. Not bothering to turn around to see who it was, you continued puffing on the stick and resting your left arm over your right. You felt something grab your shoulder and your first instinct was to burn the skin of that creep on your shoulder with the lit cigarette.

Fortunately for that so-called creep, they didn't receive a burn mark but as for you, a moment of embarrassment washed over you. You stood facing the person but your eyes were transfixed to the rough concrete beneath your feet. You face was a few shades redder by now.

"Santana, I saw you leave just now," that person said with anxious eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just had to get some air," you replied, dropping what's left of the cigarette stick to the ground before stomping on it. "You should probably get back in and enjoy the party, Britt."

"C'mon San," she sounded a little disappointed at how you were acting. "How about we go for a drive so we can get some fresher air and maybe get to talk about it? Besides, I was starting to get a little claustrophobic in there."

You offered her a tight smile and let her lead you to her car. You were not even sure if she should be driving but who knows? Maybe she didn't have any drinks or at least not enough to make her feel buzzed which was definitely illegal in this country. How was she able to stay so sober at a club? It was totally against the purpose of going there. But enough with the worry, you just went along with that blonde.

When you reached her car, you were more than impressed by the car model, let alone the convertible top. Brittany happened to see you staring at it as if a head just grew on the car and made funny faces at you.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Brittany interrupted. "My dad left me this before he passed on. It's a 1989 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. I repainted it to give it more of an edge."

"He left you this?" you asked. You couldn't quite believe how someone would pass on such a prized possession. Well, in Brittany's case, it was understandable. "It's gorgeous. It must have cost a fortune."

"It did and if I were to sell this now," she continued. "Who knows how much I'll make off this? But of course, I'd be stupid to even think of selling it. It's the only thing he left me."

You didn't know how to reply to that so you just kept quiet and waited for her to continue. You could clearly tell that this car had been with her dad for a really long time just by looking at the scratches and small dents. Brittany had it repainted black with blue stripes and probably got it modified because you could barely hear the engine when she ignited it.

She didn't continue the conversation though. You cleared your throat quietly to grab her attention away from the car for a while. She looked at you curiously but adoringly as she waited for you to continue. You giggled nervously at her and your hand rubbing the back of your neck, trying to think of a polite way of asking her what had been on her mind since she suggested to for a ride.

"Are you sure this is legal?" you asked.

Brittany frowned in confusion, clearly not catching what you were trying to say.

"I mean, you obviously must have had a couple of drinks," you clarified.

"Drinks? No, Santana," she giggled. "I hadn't had anything other than some boring cola and a few energy shots. And I drove here; I don't think I'd want to leave my baby here while someone else sends me home."

"Can't your roommate drive you home? And doesn't that kind of beats the whole purpose of going to clubs?" you tilted your head to the side and frowned at Brittany.

"Sam? Driving my baby? Not a chance."

She didn't give an answer to the other question. Instead, she directed you into the vehicle and mentioned something about holding on tight.

The moment she stepped on the gas pedal, you jerked back. When she said to hold on tight, she really did mean to hold on tight. You laid a death grip on both sides of the seat and threw a terrified look at her. Brittany just giggled in her seat with both hands firmly placed on the wheel. The smirk on her face sent shivers down your spine.

What could possibly be going through that blonde's mind? Why was she driving like she's in a race? And what's with the smug smirk on her face?

You prolonged the stare until she made another quick turn, causing you to shift abruptly in your seat.

"Jesus, Brittany!" you screamed. "Why are you speeding and where are we going?"

"Somewhere," she stole a glance at you before focusing back on the road. "And it's fun… to speed once in a while."

Your jaw dropped upon her response and the thought in your head was verbally released; something about breaking the speed limit and the involvement with the police. Brittany just shrugged and told you that there was a relatively slim chance of getting pulled over on the road you were taking. Fair enough since you were practically in the middle of nowhere on a late Friday night.

It was not for another fifteen minutes that she finally drove to a stop. You were literally in the middle of nowhere by now and to be honest; it was kind of giving you the creeps. She shut off the engine and stepped out of the vehicle. She leaned back on the hood of her Chevrolet and stared into the far distance.

You followed behind and propped yourself onto the hood right next to her, looking at where Brittany had been staring at for the past two minutes. There was nothing significant to look at but something told you that the place itself meant something significant to her. Not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere, you just sat there in silence.

"My dad used to bring us here when we were younger," she said softly, almost inaudible. "He used to speed down this road in this car and the sound the old engine never failed to make us smile."

You could hear the smile in her tone but there was a pinch of sadness hidden in it. You pulled your knees up to your chest and wrapped your arms around them. There were no cars in sight and the road was only lit up by a few tall lamp posts that were widely spread away from each other. The noises the crickets made, however annoying they could be, were very calming at this very moment.

"Us?" you asked.

"My sister and I," Brittany looked down at her knees, smiling. "We used to be very close until Hayley moved to New York to enroll in Julliard and found cooler friends there, while I got admitted into MIT."

You were amazed when she told you about where she studied in but this did not seem like the right time to tell her how impressed you were. You turned your head slightly to the left where Brittany was sitting and her expression made your heart swell. You could see how much she missed her sister and how she wished that things were like they were before.

"What happened?" you encouraged her to continue. She looked up at you with a timid smile spread across her face but quickly disappeared as soon as it came on.

"I don't know… and I don't feel like talking about it just yet," she sighed as she shook off whatever negative energy she had on and inverted her frown. "Enough about my depressing life, tell me about yours."

Truthfully, you were a little surprised at the question. Never in your life had anyone willingly asked you to tell them your story. Of course there were little bits of information floating around about you and your life but you had never told anyone the real story. You hugged your knees closer to your torso, and took in a deep breath and admired the scenery before you.

"Well, my mum's a jazz singer and my dad works in a hospital back in Ohio," you squeezed your eyes shut to hopefully try and recall your childhood memories. "I'm the only child so yeah; they kinda spoilt me as a kid. My abuela kinda hates me but I don't really know why…"

You lied. You knew exactly why she hated you. It was because you came out to her right before dinner while you were still in high school and from then on, she had disowned you as her only granddaughter. Of course you didn't tell Brittany that; there's a possibility that she might find the whole lesbian thing weird and maybe try to avoid you.

But your intuition told you that she wouldn't do that. You don't know how but you just knew. You were scared of what might possibly happen if you told her the whole truth. The whole truth could very well ruin your friendship. This might explain why you refused to tell anyone your life story. The only person that knew about it was Quinn.

Brittany hummed at your story but she seemed distracted by the road in front of her. You took a risk and shifted closer to her that your left shoulder was brushing with her right. You heard Brittany take in a sharp inhale of breath before exhaling it out and at the same time, relaxing her muscles. You were unsure how she felt at first but when you saw a small smile on her face, you started to loosen up a little.

Brittany's attention was now shifted to her lap and the crease between her brows were making you worry a little. You wanted to know what was bothering her but you didn't want to pry. So you just sat there and enjoy the silence.

It was not until two minutes later that Brittany began to talk.

"You're a good woman, Santana," her head was still tilted down and her face was expressionless. "Sometimes people just need to remind you that."

You were slightly confused by what she was trying to convey and waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, you tried to think of ways to prolong the conversation. It was a little harder than it seemed so you settled on a really simple reply.

"You really think so?" you smiled, eyes searching for hers.

She hummed in confirmation and faced up to stare back into the far distant. Another moment of silence filled the air. It wasn't the awkward kind but more of a comfortable one.

Ten minutes soon turned into an hour and you were still soaking up the beauty of the scene in front of you. Brittany's head was now resting on your shoulder. She seemed to be distracted by her own thoughts. You angled your head slightly to look at her in the eye.

"Hey, what's wrong?" you softly asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I just… really miss my family… my dad."

"It's gonna be okay," you wrapped your left arm around her and gently squeezed her into you.

Both of you sat there in silence for another eight minutes before Brittany decided that she has had enough of reflecting on life and planned on sending you home before Quinn begins to think that you've been kidnapped or something.

/

You were not exactly sure how she knew where you were staying but you found it rather sweet of her to send you straight back home so you wouldn't have to deal with the expensive taxi fares or paparazzi swarming you in the middle of the street after seeing some hot blonde bringing you somewhere in her car just outside the club.

Brittany had pulled over on the side of the road just outside your apartment complex – not so fancy for a celebrity but both you and Quinn had been looking at other properties that you could move into in the years (if not months) ahead. She seemed a little troubled from the looks of her tight grip on the wheel. Her eyes were still transfixed on the road in front of her. You knew something had been bothering her. It might have been the little trip to the road in the middle of nowhere.

You cleared your throat to break the tension and offered her a weak smile. That was the first time you saw her this fragile even though she hid it so well behind that fake smile. It broke your heart just seeing her in the most vulnerable of states.

"I better get going," you pointed your thumb over your shoulder to your apartment complex. "Please text me when you get home… so I know you're safe."

Brittany didn't say a word but instead, nodded in agreement. Her grip tightened causing her knuckles had turned slightly white.

It pained you to see her like this. You would kill to see her all happy, and talking about unicorns and rainbows again.

As you got out of the car, you made sure to give her another smile before waving her a goodbye. She only returned a nod before sighing and driving off.

You watched on until her car had disappeared off into the distance and stayed on for a little while to understand and figure out what was happening in her life.

Knowing that you couldn't do anything at that moment, you fished your phone from your purse and checked for texts or anything that could distract you from your previous thoughts. You were not surprised to find a few texts from Quinn and one from Kurt.

Quinn: Where are you?

Quinn: Santana, call me when you get this.

Kurt: Hey Santana, thanks for the invite! The party was a blast but I'm bummed I couldn't find you anywhere. Congrats btw! Awesome night!

You sent out a quick text to him before scrolling down to more of Quinn's texts.

Quinn: saaaan, wgere arr yoi

It made you smile a little at Quinn's drunk texts.

Quinn: GUES WAT?! TIS CUUUTE BOY JUZ ASKE ME OUT! SCOREEEE! CALLL ME BAK!

Quinn: UGHHHHH! WHTEVR. CUTE BLNODE SENT ME HOEM N IM ON THE COCH. DON'T CAL ME!

That was all of Quinn's texts. It seemed like she had given up on noting about your whereabouts. You stood outside your apartment and fished out the keys to it. As you inserted the key into the keyhole, you found out that the door wasn't even locked, causing you to panic a little.

"Quinn, why didn't you lock that door?" you carefully stepped into the apartment, making sure that there were no other uninvited guests. "Hello? Quinn?"

You entered the living room and found her lying motionless on the couch like she said she was. Not wanting to bother her, you quietly tiptoed into the kitchen to get her a glass of water with an Advil just in case she suffers from a hangover the following day. You carefully put the items down on the coffee table next to the couch. You went into her room in search of a blanket before walking back into the living room with one to tuck her in.

You just stood there staring at your best friend's sleeping form and how relaxed she looked. A smile soon crept onto your face when she stirred in her sleep. You softly whispered out sleep well to her as you walked away from the living room and to your room. Halfway to your room, you heard a muffled thanks coming from her. You simply smiled at the response before continuing your walk.

Once in your room, you couldn't help but think of what Brittany had said to you. She just laid her emotions out in front of you like it was nothing but you knew for a fact that she was hurting inside when she told you about her life. The only thing her dad left her was the Camaro. You couldn't quite possibly put a finger to how she must have felt when she heard the devastating news. The longer you thought about it, the more it was starting to hurt you. For the first time in a long while, you were felt how it feels to be so connected to someone.

Then you remembered how bitchy you were when you asked her about who Sam was. You knew for a fact that they had been living together since Brittany had graduated from college and moved to LA with Sam because she told you that over one of the many calls you two had been sharing. You retrieved your phone out of your purse and scrolled down to her name before sending an apology text to her.

You honestly had no idea what was going through your mind when it happened. Brittany was probably the only person you did not want to show your ugly side to but now it was too late. Ever since then, Brittany had been acting tensed around you, especially what happened in the car. The story about her family might have also made her act that way.

Your phone vibrated in your hand and you found a new message from Brittany. All it said was "It's okay". You knew then that you had totally messed up. You decided to give another go at apologizing to her.

Santana: I know u're mad abt how I acted earlier and I'm really sorry. I messed up. Text me when u get home, k?

A text never did come after the last one you sent out. It made you worry a little because you knew that Brittany lived close to Drai's. She should have been home by now. It was either she went for another drive or still felt angry toward you.

/

You felt your phone vibrated continuously by your head while you were asleep and answered whoever was trying to get hold of you in the wee hours of the morning. In your raspy voice, you spoke to the person on the other end of the line.

"Are you Santana?" asked a man.

You pulled your ear away from the receiver and looked at the caller id. You found yourself frowning when it turned out to be Brittany's but it was a man who was speaking to you. You croaked out a yes but not the usual confident yes, more like an unsure one.

"Are you a close friend or relative of Brittany Pierce?"

This time, all the sleep had been washed away from you. You sat upright and pressed your phone closer to your ear as you repeated your answer clearer and anxiously this time round.

"Brittany is in the emergency room right now," he informed you before proceeding to tell you the name of the hospital.

"What happened to her? Did she get in a car accident?" you screamed out into the phone. "Is she okay?!"

The caller did not answer any of your questions but told you to head down there as soon as possible. Without further ado, you wore a cardigan that was hanging on one of your bedposts and headed out your room. You grabbed Quinn's car key that was sitting by your coffee table in the living room and left the apartment.

On your way to the car, you sent out a quick text to Quinn informing her of your loan of her car and also of what happened to Brittany, not that you know the actual cause. You pressed the unlock button on the remote and got into the car, twisting the already inserted key to run the engine.

When you reached there and had parked safely, you immediately rushed into the Accidents & Emergency waiting area and threw a bunch of questions at the poor obviously-exhausted nurse at the customer service counter. It was only until someone stopped you from further blurting out questions to the nurse. You turned around, ready to shout at whoever dared to stop you when you saw who it was.

"Sam?" you said, a little dumbfounded at first but soon remembered that he was Brittany's roommate. "Brittany? What happened to Brittany? Is she okay?"

"She's still in the operating room," he answered, resting his hand on your shoulder to try and assure you that she was alright. "I haven't heard anything yet but let's keep our hopes up."

"What happened to her?!" you demanded, voice trembled a little.

"She… I found her on her bed with… with a bottle of sleeping pills in her hand," he paused. "That was when I got home. She must have overdosed on them and then I called the paramedics who then called the first person on her call log which was… you."

You stepped away from the counter and toward the sofas. You sat yourself down and buried your face in your hands, saying that it was your fault. You didn't know why you were pinning the fault on yourself but because of that incident, you felt like you were the main cause for Brittany's admission.

"I shouldn't have gotten mad at her," you spoke, more to yourself than to Sam. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Sam inched closer to you and squeezed your shoulder. "Don't think that way."

You stared at him for awhile, sensing that there was more to the sentence than what had already been said. You saw him opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but then he closed it after leaving it open for too long. Instead, he double patted your shoulder before leaving a space between the two of you.

The media somehow figured where you were and were blocking the entry to the building but was stopped from entering. Your phone had been flooded with Quinn's calls and text about why you were there and that the media had been trying to contact her. You told her about Brittany being admitted to the hospital but refused to give the details.

"You seem awfully close to Brittany lately, what's up with that?" Quinn asked.

"Can't I even make friends? God, now you're trying to tell me who I should and shouldn't be friends with?" you threw your head back in anger.

"I am not, and for the record, I'm just looking out for you," Quinn interjected. "I don't want what happened in eleventh grade to happen to you again!"

You felt your heart ached upon the hearing about those memories. "Wow, Quinn. Just wow. I'm here worrying about a friend and you're just being a bitch." you lowered your voice.

You started sniffling and your lips were already trembling. All this while, you thought you were over that incident. And all this while, you thought Quinn would never reopen those wounds again. You were awfully wrong.

You heard Quinn apologizing but you were too distraught to listen to her. You slowly lowered the phone away from your ear and rested it on your lap. Quinn was still on the line apologizing when you hit the red button. You stared at the phone for awhile longer, unable to believe what had just happened. Barely a minute later, a new call from Quinn went through you phone. You let ring until she dropped the call. The whole time it rang, you were staring at your phone with tears flowing down your face.

Sam seemed to have seen the emotional mess you were in because he sat beside you and handed you a packet of tissue. You looked at him and attempted to put on a smile but failed miserably because every time you tried, your smile quickly inverted and more tears started flowing. Unable able to contain anymore of the sadness, you broke down. Sam panicked for a second but he soon did what you needed, he pulled you close to him and let your head rest on his shoulder. He wasn't bothered by the tears that had damped his shirt or the eyeliner that had left black splotches on it. He just held you close and let you cry the sadness away.

You felt him stroking your hair and shushing your down as he whispered that it was okay like it's a mantra. Soon, you were able to pull yourself back together and away from him. Smiling was a lot easier this time. You apologized for any mess you've made to which he just dusted it off like it was nothing. You managed to mumble out a thank you before sitting back in your original position.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he simply asked.

You could hear the concern in his voice which was also accompanied by care. You shook your head and threw him another smile. As you two were sitting awkwardly beside each other, you were reminded of your impression of him when he attended that party with Brittany by his side. The impression that he was not someone you'd like to be around with just because Brittany was his plus one. But now, a new impression had been made. Sam turned out to be one of the sweetest guys you've met and for him to let you break down in his arm like that was more than what any girl could ask for.

Out of nowhere, you heard a strangely familiar voice calling out your name. You turned behind and there she was, standing at the customer service counter, Quinn. She rushed up to you and grabbed both of your hands, asking if you were alright. Before you could even answer, Sam had spoken for you.

"She's okay, I guess she's just really worried about Brittany," he smiled sweetly.

Quinn turned her head to the right and froze for a moment. "S-Sam? Wh-what are you doing here?"

You tried to make sense of what was happening between them and more importantly, how Quinn knew his name. You saw how awkward they were acting in the presence of each other, making you feel even more uncomfortable.

"Brittany's my roommate," he replied.

You heard an "oh" coming from Quinn before it was continued with something else. "Um… I see."

She then turned to you to check on how you were doing but you stopped her from going any further. Instead, you shot her with a question. "I assume that cute blonde was Sam?"

You saw her tilted her head down and let go of your hands. It couldn't get any more awkward than this. Quinn knew Sam who knew Brittany who knew you who knew Quinn but the real problem was Sam knew Brittany and you had been in touch for awhile now but Quinn doesn't. You were afraid that he would accidentally tell her about it. Quinn would go ape-shit if she ever knew about it.

"Are you close friends of Brittany Susan Pierce?" a man in white coat walked up to you, holding a clipboard in his hand.

All of you turned around and looked at the doctor as he stood there. The doctor who knew how Brittany was doing.

/

Important A/N: I'm just going to go ahead and tell you that I'm currently writing chapter 11. I'm telling you this because if you're wondering why it takes me longer to update from chapter 10 onwards, it's most probably because I'm still planning and writing them. And I'm also sick this week and school assignments are piling up like there's no tomorrow which is why it's taking me awhile to update. I know it's an excuse but I'm stressed out and currently having a writer's block. I hope you understand. :( Thank you for reading! -Frae