Title: The Only Choice
Author: crammit
Fandom: Glee
Rating: M
Pairing: Santana/Brittany
Timeline: AU - Vampire fic
Summary: When Brittany walked into Santana's inn all those years ago, neither knew just how much their lives would change. When a dark force from Santana's past threatens to destroy those she loves, she'll stop at nothing to protect them. Rated M for sex, language, and mild violence

A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done. Also, vamp lore is made up and doesn't follow any specific vampire mythology.


Shifting against the bed sheets, I reach my hand out with the intention of pulling you closer only to be brought up short by your laugh appearing next to the bed rather than next to me. Opening my eyes, I roll over onto my back and look up to find you watching me, two cups of blood held in your hands.

"Good evening, Santana," your voice is amused as I reach up to tug against your shirt, silently protesting your dressed state. Holding one of the cups out for me to take, you sit on the bed, your thigh pressing against my hip as you take a sip from your own cup. Brushing my hair back from my forehead, you lean down and place a kiss there, dropping your hand to rub against my shoulder as we continue to drink in silence.

Swallowing the last sip, I put the cup on the table next to the bed and take your free hand in both of mine, keeping them resting against my stomach as I run my thumbs along the back of your hand. "Why are you dressed?"

"I thought you liked this shirt on me?"

"I love that shirt on you, Brittany. I just don't understand why it has to be on you right now."

Before I can reach for you, you stand and smoothly grab my empty cup on the table before moving to place them on the tray on the floor by your feet. Coming to stand at the foot of the bed, you smirk as you grab the bed sheet and slowly tug it along my naked body, your hands falling to my feet once I'm completely uncovered. Sitting up, I playfully move my feet in your hands, laughing as you give up holding onto them and instead grab the tops of my ankles. "Santana, you need to get dressed."

"No, you need to get undressed."

"I was just undressed." With one last squeeze to my ankles, you turn away from me and go to pick up my folded clothes from the chair by the window. "You were sleeping and sadly, you missed it."

Before you can turn back around, I jump off the bed and pull you back into an embrace, kissing your cheek as I try to tug the clothes from your hands. "Come on, love. You don't really want me to get dressed, do you?"

Letting my teeth click into place, I drag them along your neck, smiling as I feel your grip weakening on the clothes. As I pull with a final tug to take them from your grasp, I'm instead left grabbing air as you've managed to duck and spin away from me, stopping three feet behind me before I have a chance to blink. Turning around slowly, I'm met by your wide smile and I can't help by laugh as you take a bow before putting the clothes down at the foot of the bed. "Brittany, what was that?"

Picking the tray up from the floor, you make your way to the door, grinning at my expression of surprise. "Robert's been teaching me a few things."

"Has he now?"

At my tone, you put the tray down on the table and make your way back to me, holding my hands in yours as you wrap them around your waist. Kissing the scowl from my forehead, you reach up and run your fingers through my hair as you continue speaking. "Santana, don't be like that. He just thinks it will be good for me to learn some things so I can better protect myself. With everything going on, he thought you would feel better if I wasn't so helpless, that's all."

With a resigned sigh, I press harder against your back and pull you in for a kiss, keeping it soft and gentle even as my body reacts to the taste of your mouth. Pulling away, I smile to alleviate the concern I can feel coming off of you. "And he's right. I just don't know that I like the thought of his hands on you during these training sessions."

You roll your eyes and pull me in to a hard kiss, kissing each cheek before you step back and make your way over to the tray once more. "San, he's like a brother to me now, the way he is to you. You know that. Now, can you get dressed and come downstairs? Cian is downstairs waiting to speak with you, okay?"

Walking slowly over to my clothes, I pick them up with a small nod and start getting dressed, looking up as you open the door and address me once more. "Santana?"

"Yes?" Pulling my arms through the sleeves of my shirt, I reach down and pull my pants on, buttoning them as you grin at me in the doorway.

"Maybe if you're up for it later I can show you some of the grappling techniques that Robert has been telling me about..." With a wink, you reach back and shut the door, your laughter filling the hallway at the direction my thoughts take. Shaking my head, I continue to get dressed, suddenly eager to get this meeting over with and get you back into our room.


Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, I look over the crowded dining room, quickly determining the regulars from the travelers passing through for the night. Noticing the relaxed stances of my people throughout the room, I let the tension ease from my shoulders and make my way over to the corner table where you are already seated across from Cian. Waving to Vero by the bar, my gaze stops on Robert as he chats with her, my eyes narrowing even as your voice slides into my thoughts.

Santana, be nice.

Looking over to you, I smile for your benefit, making a note to speak with Robert in the near future. Cian rises as I approach and I accept his kiss of greeting with another smile, rounding the table to take a seat at your side, my hand automatically finding yours on top of the table. Vero appears a few moments later, two whiskeys placed on the table for Cian and myself and a mug of honey wine for you.

Waiting until Vero was out of earshot, Cian clinks his glass against both of ours and gestures to the map he has spread out on the table. As I point to the carved devil sitting on Lucas' presumed position, Cian laughs and shrugs as he answers my unspoken questions. "It seemed appropriate."

Glancing around the map, I notice with concern that the coins bearing my crest used to mark the position of our people have grown smaller and appear farther than where they were just a week ago. Calculating the terrain between our closest position and Lucas', I tap my finger against the map and meet Cian's now serious gaze. "This can't be right."

"It is."

"It can't be." Letting go of your hand, I shift over in my seat to allow you to lean forward and look at the map yourself, turning my attention back to Cian as he looks over his shoulder to wave someone forward, meeting my angry words with an understanding look. "There is no way he covered this much ground in that amount of time, Cian. Has he fucking grown wings since we last fought him?"

Pulling a leather strip from my pocket, I pull my hair back into a ponytail as Cian's man approaches the table, awaiting Cian's word of encouragement before speaking to me. "Mistress, I can attest to the truth of his location."

"And how is it that...wait, what's your name?"

"Victor, Mistress."

"Victor, how did you come by this information?"

Pointing to the coins at our closest stronghold, Victor meets my gaze as Cian continues to watch me. "We were less than a day from his position. The familiars we'd been using as our scouts could see the smoke from his campfires and, as night began to fall, we prepared to advance. I sent word to Marcus to move to a flanking position and we pushed forward to the town Lucas had claimed."

"What happened?"

"We were within range of the town limits when we were all knocked to the ground by something, some kind of explosion. When we finally got to our feet and looked towards the town, half of it was gone. Destroyed by whatever that explosion had been."

Indicating the map at the town's location, I look first to Cian, the tension in my shoulders returning at the look on his face, before I address Victor again. "How can you be sure that the bastard didn't just blow himself up?"

I can feel my anxiety increase as Victor and Cian make eye contact, your hand that settles on my leg doing little to ease my sense of foreboding as Victor looks back to me and confirms the reason for Cian's concern. "A few moments later there was a flash of blue light, like lightning, west of our position. In the Kersk Mountains."

"Cian…"

"Victor, excuse us for a moment." Cian's voice sounds far away as he speaks over my weak exclamation of his name, thanking Victor and instructing him to seek out Vero for room and board for the night.

I can feel your concern pushing at my consciousness and all I can do is drop my hand to yours and hold on as Cian turns back to us and continues speaking. "You understand what this means."

"She's gotten stronger."

At that, you finally speak up, your voice addressing Cian though the question is for me. "Kaitlin? Is that who you're talking about?"

Cian nods his head though by his silence I know that he is deferring the answer to me. Shifting in my seat to face you, I let the love you feel for me chase the darker shadows that telling this story always brings. "Kaitlin is a powerful sorceress, Brittany. A witch with magic from the Old World and one that I had hoped to never see again."

Holding tighter to your hand, I drop my gaze to your thumb as it brushes across my skin, my voice softer as I speak again. "I haven't yet told you the story of my rebirth, have I? How I came to be a vampire?"

"Not yet."

I bring your hand up and press a kiss to your palm, closing my eyes briefly as your thumb caresses my cheek before I speak again, "I'll have to tell you about it but for right now, in regards to Kaitlin? All you need to know is that she killed our sire."

I keep my eyes on your face as you look over at Cian, looking between us for a few moments before clearing your throat to ask, "Why?"

"Because she could." Turning away from you as Cian speaks, I meet his eyes and see the shared sorrow reflected in his gaze, the despair of that night barely dulled with the passing of time. "She did it for no reason other than as a childish display of her power in defiance of the Royal Family. They had banned her from their land for disobeying their rules about when and where to use her powers. So, she left. As expected, she threatened retribution but they dismissed her without so much as a second thought because they knew she couldn't touch them."

"Are they that powerful?"

"Yes," Cian's voice is quiet as he mutters his answer. "They are powerful. And lazy. And capricious. And entitled. And I wish the lot of them would be tied in one big bundle and left out in the midday Sun."

"Cian." My admonishment is sharp and he holds my gaze for a few seconds before grabbing my glass along with his own and excusing himself from the table, murmuring about getting us more to drink. Watching him work his way through the dining area, my thoughts are interrupted by your hand coming to rest against my thigh. Looking over at your concerned face, I hold your hand and stand, pulling you to your feet as I make a decision. "Come. Take a walk with me and I'll tell you the rest of the story."


Predictably you lead us towards the stables, abandoning my hand in favor of presenting Asim with an apple stolen from Vero's kitchen. Indulging you for the time being, I watch as you run your hands along Asim's side, reaching my own hand out to brush against his muzzle as he bumps his head into my shoulder seeking another treat. "I have no apples for you, Sir. You best check with your blonde mistress over there."

Meeting your smile as you hand him a second apple, I accept your hand as you tell Asim goodnight and lead us around to the back of the stable, climbing to sit on the top of the low fence and pulling me to stand between your legs. Tugging me closer, you pull my arms around your waist and settle your hands on top of my shoulders, leaning down to kiss me softly before settling back on the fence. "So…"

Taking a deep breath, I answer your prompt. "So, yes the Royal Family is powerful and yes, Cian hates them. Well, I shouldn't say hate. He's disgusted with them."

"Because of what happened to your sire?"

"Yes, because of that. And because of their lack of involvement in what's been going on with Lucas. Though having Kaitlin suddenly return will no doubt garner some interest. Not enough for them to actually do anything, of course. In that, I can agree with Cian's disgust."

Your voice is tentative as one hand trails down across my shoulder to pull out the pendant that sits against my chest, my eyes drawn to the spot where I know yours sits before looking back up at you as you ask your question. "What happened to your sire?"

Drawing comfort from your proximity, I will away the ache that remembering always brings and answer you. "He was traveling to meet up with Cian and Cian's brother."

"Cian has a brother?"

"Had. Cian's brother died many years ago." Kissing your pout, I run my hands along your hips, soothing the sadness I can feel coming from you. "It's okay. He died a happy old man, surrounded by his wife and children. And more grandchildren than I think he ever thought he would have."

"Did he know about Cian?"

"Yes. It became hard to explain away Caleb continuing to grow older as Cian remained the same so Cian finally told him. He was terrified to admit it, afraid that Caleb would be scared of him. Or worse, try to kill him thinking Cian a threat to his family."

"What happened?"

"Cian told me that Caleb looked at him for a few minutes and then calmly asked if it was true about what he had heard about, that vampires could turn into bats at night. Because if it was true, he wanted Cian to fly to his neighbor's house and shit all over their eyesore of a shed."

Your laughter almost dislodges you from the fence and I tighten my grip on your waist, smiling as you shake your head in disbelief. "He didn't? Did he?"

"Did he do what?"

"Did Cian shit all over the neighbor's shed?"

"Brittany, we can't really turn into bats."

"Oh."

"Are you disappointed?" Shifting my stance, I lean my hip against the inside of your leg and brush my fingers lightly across your collarbone as you nod your head. "Well, there are few things I haven't told you about that you might find really interesting."

At that, you perk up and squeeze my shoulders, your smile stretching across your face. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I promise I'll tell you about them soon, okay?"

"Okay," Playing with the ends of my ponytail, your face settles into a more serious look as you continue speaking. "Caleb was okay with Cian, just like that?"

"There was a little more to it but yes, when it was all said and done, Cian was Caleb's brother. He loved him, human or vampire. Caleb even came to travel with Cian, when it was safe. Caleb was well-versed in herbs and treating injuries and there would be times when familiars were hurt and Caleb would tend to their wounds. The night that Duncan was killed he was on his way to see Cian and Caleb. A raiding party had attacked one of the villages where many of Cian's familiars lived."

"Duncan was your sire?"

"Yes." Hearing you speak his name forces me to clear my throat, a pang rushing through my chest as I finish the story. "We had heard that Kaitlin had been exiled but nobody had seen or heard from her in weeks and we just assumed she had taken off, her threat of retribution fading the longer she was quiet. The village Duncan was traveling to sat a few miles from the edge of the land the Royal Family claims and so there was no thought to any danger, at least not from her. But it turned out that she was there, just outside the town. She was the one that had organized the raiding party in hopes of drawing Duncan there."

"Why your sire?"

"Duncan served as foreign counsel to the Royal Family and was valuable to them. And so he was valuable to her. She waited for him, letting him get within viewing distance of the village before casting a spell, spooking the horse he was riding and throwing him to the ground. The watchmen at the village gate heard the commotion and saw the flash of light as the spell was cast and organized some men to investigate. But it was too late."

Pausing here, I let my forehead rest against your shoulder, closing my eyes at the feel of your lips against my temple. "Santana, you don't have to finish."

Leaning back, I meet your concerned look and shake my head, speaking softly as I force myself to finish the story. "She didn't kill him right away. Fire or a stake through the heart would have been quick and merciful and she is anything but that. She had enchanted a wooden stake and had driven it right next to his heart, the spell ensuring that the wood would expand slowly, the slivers inching into his heart before finally piercing it and ending his life. As soon as they saw it was Duncan, one of the men rushed back to get Cian in town and bring him there but it was too late. Cian told me that all he could see as he approached where Duncan was supposed to be was a burst of ash and then nothing. He felt the moment that Duncan died. So did I."

"Oh, San…"

"I was at the inn with Vero in the kitchen doing something…I don't even really remember what it was now. All I remember was a shocking moment of pain, like something had been ripped from inside me and then nothing. Just a hollow feeling and I knew. I just knew that something had happened to Duncan. Cian showed up a few days later and I could see the truth of it in his eyes."

Accepting your hug, I rest my cheek against your shoulder, the sound of your sniffling causing me to pull back and cup your jaw. "Brittany?"

"Santana, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. You are as much a part of me as the blood in my body, as the thoughts in my head. To think that you could be taken from me…to never feel you again? I couldn't…I just…"

Stepping closer to you, I slide my hands across your back and pull you against my body, pressing my lips against your hair as your tears wet the fabric of my shirt. My own sadness as you spoke is only compounded by our connection and I pull back so I can cup your cheeks in my palms once more, my thumbs brushing away your tears. "Nobody will ever take me away from you, Brittany. I swear it."

"You can't promise something like that."

"Sweetheart…"

"You can't," Reaching up to hold onto my wrists, your eyes search my face, your voice tear-soaked and urgent as you continue speaking. "The death of my family has taught me that. Nothing is promised to us with any certainty. I don't want you to have to break a promise like that to me. When I let you claim me, it was because I wanted to be with you forever. For as long as you exist, I will be by your side. If anything should happen to you that would be the end of me."

"Don't say that."

"It's the truth. Why would I want to be here without you?"

The ochre is creeping around the edge of your blue eyes and I feel an answering shift in my own as your emotions wind through me. The love coming from you is so strong and pure and in that moment, I feel the truth of your statement. Closing my eyes, I'm forced to acknowledge that should something happen to you, I wouldn't want to see the next minute after that. Dropping my hands to your waist, I press forward and take your mouth in a kiss, your lips parting easily for me as I taste the salt of your tears. As quickly as it starts, it's over as I pull back, both of us sharing breath in the tiny amount of space between our lips. "I love you. So much."

Even though your cheeks tremble, you greet my declaration with a smile, pulling me closer so my lips press against your neck as you rest your cheek against the top of my head. "I love you too, San."

Raising my head, I hold you closer to my body as I hear footsteps running in our direction, stepping away from you only when I hear Robert's voice call out my name.

"Here, Robert. Around the back of the stables." Yelling out, I help you down from the fence and hold your hand as we make our way around the side of the building.

Skidding to halt in front of us, Robert's eyes are light, anxiety having caused them to turn. Looking quickly between the two of us, he gestures for us to follow him back to the inn, the urgency in his body language forcing us to follow at a run. "Come quickly, Santana."

"What is it? What's happened?"

"It's Declan's wife."

Grabbing Robert's arm before he can head inside, I pull him to a halt in front of the inn door, feeling you tremble where you're still holding my hand. "Is she hurt?"

"She's been killed."