A/N-Sorry I haven't been updating as much as I would like to but life has been busy and work too. I plan on writing this weekend so those of you who are reading Unconditional Love, I plan on posting the next chapter by Sunday night. Thanks for reading this story and commenting.

Chapter 7

Thirty minutes later Santana was still sitting on the couch waiting for Brittany. She had given up playing the game on her cell phone ten minutes ago and now her hands were sweaty and she had been bouncing her knees up and down time. Ten more minutes went by before Brittany walked into the living room. "I'm sorry it took so long. Cole wouldn't stop talking about you. You made quite an impression on him."

"He's a great kid." Santana responded sincerely.

"I'm going to have a glass of wine would you like one or something else to drink?" Brittany asked as she nervously bit her bottom lip with her top teeth.

Santana wasn't sure if drinking wine was such a good idea because she needed to keep a clear head while talking to Brittany and alcohol could make her emotional if she drank too much but if it was only one glass so she should be ok. "A glass of wine sounds good."

Brittany left the living room and came back a few minutes later with two glasses of wine. "I hope you like white wine because it's all I have in the house right now. I don't drink very often and when I do I only have one glass because I need to stay alert being the only one here for Cole."

Santana really admired Brittany's commitment to Cole and keeping him happy and safe. Santana had seen way too many situations, as a police officer and then as a detective, where parents drank too much and their children were injured or neglected because of it.

Brittany handed Santana her glass of wine before sitting down on the couch beside Santana. "Thanks, white wine is fine." Both women took a drink of their wine before setting their glasses on the coffee table in front of the couch which was followed by several seconds of silence.

"So how have you been?" Santana asked at the same time Brittany asked her "How have you been?" They both laughed nervously at asking the same question at the same time.

"Since you are the guest you get to answer first." Brittany stated while looking at Santana but avoiding looking directly into her eyes.

"Oh, ok well…I've been ok." Santana answered and then there was silence again for a few seconds. Then Santana blurted out "It was a big shock seeing you and Cole at the store today."

"I know I couldn't believe it when I saw you standing there. It was like I was dreaming. What exactly happened at the store? All Cole told me was that he saw you and wandered away from me because he wanted to get a good look at you." Brittany said with a hint of smile at the way Cole had told her he wanted to get a good look at the women who looked like his heaven mom.

"Well it was Jillian who noticed Cole staring at me from behind a rack of clothes and told me I had an admirer. I saw him and noticed he was alone I was afraid he had gotten lost in the store so I asked him if he was ok. I got the feeling when I looked at him that he looked familiar. It was when he said to me 'You're the lady my mommy told me about…you look like my other mommy who lives in heaven in now' I knew why he looked so familiar. I knew right then it was Cole and then the next thing I remember is you shouting Cole Alexander Pierce. You know what happened after that."

"I was so scared when I couldn't find him in the store because it's not like him to wander off. I thought for sure someone had taken him." Santana could see how thinking about not being able to find Cole still upset Brittany. She thought about reaching over and patting Brittany's knee to comfort her but even though her mind was willing it to move her hand stayed still. Brittany continued speaking, "It's quite a coincidence Cole saw you at the store because it's only been a couple of months since I told him about you." Brittany reached for her wine glass and took a sip before placing it back on the coffee table. She was more nervous talking to Santana than she thought she would be.

"Can I ask you why you decided to tell Cole about me? Also, he keeps telling me you showed him a picture of me on the computer when I was wearing my police uniform, what picture did you show him?"

Brittany's nervousness quickly increased after hearing Santana's question. She had decided to tell Cole about Santana just in case he ever saw her so he wouldn't be confused or even scared seeing a woman who looked like his dead mother. However, there was another reason Brittany decided to tell Cole about Santana and it was a much more personal reason. Brittany knew she needed to answer Santana's question but she decided not to tell Santana the more personal reason she decided to tell Cole about her. It wasn't the right time to tell her. It may never be the right time to tell her.

"I saw online three months ago you were named Assistant Chief of Community Affairs. Congratulations by the way." Brittany gave Santana a smile that Santana felt all through her body.

"Thanks". Santana had to look away from Brittany.

"Anyway when I saw your picture on the computer I started thinking I should maybe tell Cole about you just in case he happened to see you someday. I never expected he would see you so soon after I told him about you." Brittany wanted to continue on and tell Santana the other reason she told Cole about her but she was afraid she'd make a fool of herself. She had no idea how Santana would react if she told her she had been thinking about getting in touch with her for past year and when she saw Santana's picture on the computer she had decided she would tell Cole about Santana to see how he would react to knowing there was another woman who looked like his heaven mom. Brittany wouldn't contact Santana if Cole was confused or upset knowing there was a woman who looked so much like his mother. When Brittany had shown Cole the picture of Santana he was curious and had a lot of questions but he didn't seem confused or upset. So Brittany decided she would contact Santana in the near future, however, before Brittany got to decide the right time fate intervened by having them run into each other at the store.

"It was a good idea you told him about me because he was prepared when he saw me in the store today."

"Cole handled seeing you quite well. I overheard him tell you in his bedroom that you looked like his heaven mom but you're different. He noticed your voice is different, your eyes are more chocolate brown, and you hair is longer. Children see everything so simply sometimes. To Cole you are the lady who looks like his mommy in heaven and that's all. I wish sometime us adults could see things through the eyes of the child in all its simplicity. He was more confused when he saw you on the plane that day because he was so young and unable to understand. I actually think Cole is developing a little crush on you."

Santana found herself blushing at Brittany's statement about Cole having a crush on her although she had no idea why. Both women took a drink of their wine and then placed the glasses back on the coffee table. Again there was silence. Santana had a question she knew she had to ask Brittany because the answer to it would make all of the difference in the world. "Brittany, before we get too deep into our talk I have something I need to ask you. Is tonight a onetime thing? After tonight if I see you and Cole do you still want me to walk in the other direction or have things changed now? "

Brittany noticed how Santana's forehead was scrunched up like she was worried about hearing the answer to her question. For the first time that evening Brittany let her guard down and allowed herself to be attracted to Santana's beauty and Santana the person. Brittany hadn't been involved with anyone since Gracie's death. She had been putting all of her time and energy into Cole's well-being and also letting herself heal.

"The day in the coffee shop when you told me you knew it affected both Cole and I seeing you, you were right. At the time Cole was too young to understand he would never see his mother again and when he saw you he thought you were his mother. Seeing you affected me because every time I looked at you I saw Gracie. It hurt because I lost someone I loved very much and had planned on spending the rest of my life with. When you promised me that day you would walk the other way if you ever saw Cole and me, I was grateful to you for realizing what was best for Cole and me at that time. We both needed time to deal with Gracie's death and I appreciate all of the times you walked away when you saw us. I couldn't believe how many times we ran into each other at the coffee shop. I counted 19." Brittany hoped Santana wouldn't think she was obsessive because she kept track of the number of times they ran into each other at the coffee shop.

A small smile appeared on Santana's face, "I actually counted 20 times."

Brittany smiled with relief knowing Santana had counted the number of times they saw each other too. However, she was off by one. "I guess I must have missed you hurrying to the restroom or sneaking out the door on one occasion since you counted one more than me."

Santana felt her face turning warmer by the second when she heard Brittany's comment. "You saw all of those times I went to the restroom or snuck out the door?"

"Yes I did. It's not every day a beautiful woman quickly hurries away when she sees you." As soon as the words left Brittany's mouth she realized her slip up calling Santana beautiful. She looked at Santana quickly to see how see reacted and what she saw was Santana looking at her with a look that made her unable to look away from Santana.

The two stared into each other's eyes for several seconds. They both felt the connection that was pulling them together. Santana was the first to break the eye contact. "Every time I saw you it got harder to walk away. I wanted to ask you how you and were Cole were doing because I thought about you both every day. I saw you with Cole about six months after I promised to walk away. You were at the pharmacy picking up a prescription holding a very sick Cole. I stood there for a few minutes watching you and wanting to walk over to you and help you. Cole was coughing, his nose was running, and he was whimpering a little. His cheeks were red so I knew he probably had a fever. I felt so helpless. I turned around and walked out of the pharmacy before you could see me and from the moment I got back to my apartment until this very minute I have regretted not offering to help you two." Santana's voice cracked with emotion as she spoke.

Brittany was touched by Santana's emotion so she reached over and put her hand on Santana's leg. "Cole was very sick. He had bronchitis and a temperature of 102. We had been to the doctor's and stopped on the way home to get his prescription filled. And just so you know I saw you standing there watching us. You were in the aisle pretending to read the label of a bottle of something."

"It was a bottle of medicine for acid indigestion. You must think I'm a horrible for person for standing there watching you two like that." Santana was positive she had kept out of sight that day.

"No, I didn't think you were a horrible person for watching us. I understand Santana. I know all of this hasn't been easy for you either."

"It hasn't been easy for me from the time Cole called me mommy on the plane to the moment I saw him in the store today. I don't want to make this about me because you and Cole lost so much." Brittany's hand was still on Santana's leg so she squeezed it hoping it would prompt Santana to continue on which it did. "Having Cole call me mommy affected me in ways I never would have thought it would. I had decided a few years ago that as long as I was a detective I would never get married or have children."

Brittany found herself feeling sad at Santana's confession. "Do you want to tell me why?"

Santana took a drink of wine, "It's a long story but the short version is my partner on the police force was killed in shootout about five years ago. Jay and I were partners for two years. He left a wife and a six month old baby girl behind. I saw what his death did to them so I vowed as long as I was on the police force I would never get married or have children because I couldn't put them through that if something happened to me."

Brittany wanted to hug Santana and comfort her at that moment but she settled for gently stroking her upper leg. "I'm sorry about your partner and I understand why you wouldn't want to put your wife and children through that but at the same time none of us know for sure if we'll come home when we walk out the door in the morning. Gracie thought she'd be coming home when she left that morning but she didn't make home."

"I know that's one of the ways meeting you and Cole affected me. I realized bad things can happen to any of us at anytime. It made me rethink my decision not to get married or have children."

"Is that why you gave up being a detective to become Assistant Chef of Community Affairs?" Brittany continued to stroke Santana's leg and both women found it comforting.

"That's a big part of the reason why I decided to apply for the position. I would no longer being out on the streets every day investigating crimes. I also applied for the position because I wanted to work with the community to help strengthen the relationship between the public and the police. I haven't had my new job that long but I really enjoy it. I get to work with children and teenagers in school and in after school programs. I could go on and on but I won't bore you with everything we are doing."

"It's not boring to me and sometime I'd like to hear more about all of your programs but right now I want to give you an answer to your question. Yes things have changed and no you don't have to walk in the other direction when you see Cole and me."

Santana gave Brittany a smile that showed her cute yet sexy dimples but then suddenly the smile was gone. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. My biggest concern has always been Cole being confused and thinking you were Gracie but now that's he's older he seems to understand you're not Gracie. Santana, I have a confession to make. I did show Cole your picture because I didn't want him to be confused or scared if he saw you somewhere but I also showed him your picture for a more personal reason. I have wanted to contact you for awhile now but I wouldn't do it if Cole had trouble dealing with you looking like Gracie. Since he was ok when I showed him your picture I was going to contact you sometime soon but fate intervened and had us run into each other at store."

The smile was back on Santana's face. "I have a confession to make too. Since that day two years ago that we hugged in the coffee shop not a day went by when I didn't think about you. Having you in my arms and having your arms around me felt like nothing I've ever felt before. It felt right and I didn't want to let you go. At the time I felt bad for having those feelings because you had just lost the woman you loved. Now you're probably going to change your mind about me walking the other way. I'm sorry I should've have never told you about my feelings. I'd better go it's getting late." Santana got up from the couch and walked to the door. When Brittany didn't say anything or stop her from leaving Santana thought for sure she had blown it with Brittany.

When Santana got to the door she turned around before opening it and when she did she saw Brittany standing right there looking at her with teary eyes. The next thing Santana knew Brittany was hugging her and she was hugging Brittany. Santana closed her eyes because the feeling was the same as it had been two years ago. Brittany pulled back from the hug and put her hand on the side of Santana's face. "I felt something that day too when we hugged. A part of me thought it was because I was grieving over losing Gracie and I needed comforting but over the past two years I couldn't get that feeling out of my mind either. When we just hugged now the feeling was still there. I can't promise you anything Santana but I would like for us to spend some time together to get know one another better and you spend time with Cole too. Then we can find out what fate has in store for us." Brittany removed her hand from Santana's face and gently kissed her cheek. "Goodnight Santana."

Santana was trying to keep her emotions under control but was finding it very difficult. "I'd like to spend some more time with you and with Cole too. Goodnight Brittany." Santana then kissed Brittany gently on the cheek.

Santana left the apartment and was half way home in the cab before she realized she didn't get Brittany's phone number but at least she knew where she lived. Santana had just walked into her apartment when her phone signaled to let her know she had a text. She didn't recognize the number but when she read the text a smile appeared on her face.

I hope this is still your cell #. I kept the card you gave me when we shared a cab from the airport the day we met. If this isn't your cell # anymore someone else will be confused. Let me know if this is still you.

Santana texted back, This still me. I realized on the way home I never got you number and now I have it. Thanks again for dinner and for the talk. Sleep well Brittany.

Brittany texted back, Glad it's still you. Sleep well Santana. Talk to you soon.

TBC