You guys are absolutely amazing! I can't thank you all enough for the reviews and alerts and everything else! Sorry it took foreverrrr to update! I started school last week so I'm struggling to write, work, and study, but I really am trying! I hope you enjoy this chapter, but, I'm sure you'll hate me a little at the end as well. Oh well, let me know what you think! Enjoy!


Reunion
Chapter 7
Make Me Feel Something

It was 2a.m. and Santana was still awake. The events of the picnic were replaying over and over in her head, keeping her from slipping into the much needed oblivion that sleep would provide. Instead, she was sitting on her bed, digging through the conversation she had with Brittany and wondering where it would lead them.

Friends? Best friends even? Was she capable of being just that with the blonde? Santana wasn't so sure she could, but she knew what she had agreed to on the dock, and for now, that's how it would stay. She wanted Brittany back in her life, of that she was sure, but she still didn't feel that 'being friends' would be enough for her. She had always loved her, even when she was younger and refused to see it for what it really was. And even now, after all of the heartache and suffering she went through at the hands of Brittany, she still didn't love her any less than she did the day they graduated from McKinley.

But did she trust her? She wasn't so sure on that point. You could love someone until your heart bled, but to trust them, after shattering you, was another thing entirely.

I trust her, but I don't…

That doesn't even make sense Santana? You either do or you don't!

Santana was rolling the words around in her mind, trying to explain it to herself in a way that would help her heart and head get on the same page.

On one hand, her heart was saying 'protect me, but go for it. You deserve to be happy'. But her head was telling her heart to shut its damn mouth and run back to Indianapolis before the beautiful blonde could hurt them again. And this is where the rift between her heart and head sat; on one side, she wanted to be happy, on the other, the thought of Brittany leaving her again, which wasn't something she thought she could survive a second time. She needed to analyze and analyze until she found a solution, and she knew it wasn't going to happen tonight.

She glanced at the clock and realized it was much later than she ever wanted to be up, but her nerves felt so tight, too high strung to get any sleep, so she began to think about how the rest of the afternoon had went at the picnic.

San, Britt, and Quinn had decided to do lunch on Sunday afternoon since both blondes were flying out on Monday morning to head back to New York. That had been a particularly tough conversation for the Latina to listen to; to know for sure that she would again be losing Britt in a matter of days. She tried to tell herself that it would be different this time, that they would keep in touch, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

Brittany must have sensed the hurt coming off of Santana, because she had gently gave their interlocked pinkies a quick squeeze, hoping it was enough to calm the brunette down. It worked, but not as well as Brittany would have liked, and in a bold move, she wrapped her hand firmly around Santana's. San had tried to pull away, tried to put a little distance between herself and the blonde, but Brittany held on tight, refusing to let go until Santana relaxed again.

Santana had to smile a little while thinking about that moment; how Britt knew she was starting to freak out a little and how just the squeeze of her hand could plant her feet back on solid ground. It was moments like that that had made Santana fall in love with B in the first place, and being so boldly reminded of that wasn't helping her internal struggle of 'friend zoning' herself and her blonde counterpart.

She let out a huff as the realization hit her. She still loved that damn girl and there was nothing that would change that. She also knew that Britt loved her too and if Santana gave the word, they'd get back together. They'd fall right back into step as if no time had gone by and they'd figure out the distance thing as well.

She'd be so far away… Santana thought as she flopped all the way back onto her bed, hoping to possibly drown in the sea of pillows her mom decorated her bedroom with. She was getting so frustrated that she started grabbing them and just chucked them across the room, hoping not to wake her parents but enjoying the act of taking out her frustrations on something.

There was still so much to figure out; distance, her trust issues with Brittany… and… well? What else? Oh that's right, there isn't anything else you dumb ass!

Another realization. Another huff. Another pillow flying across the room.

She had no solid reasons, except for the two, to not get back together with Brittany. Granted, loyalty and trust are huge things to Santana, but this was Brittany she was talking about. The girl who stood by her side in high school when a lot of people couldn't stand her, the girl who told her she loved her and that she was perfect every time she felt like a terrible person. And the girl who held her hand when she finally came out during senior year and who didn't let go when the slushies and insults flew through the hallways.

This is my Britt-Britt… she thought as she climbed into bed, a calming feeling settling into her mind after she realized that this didn't have to be so hard. It didn't have to be life or death, it just had to be. They existed solely for one another, and no time or distance or hesitations could stop fate, and Santana knew that one way or another, fate would help them find each other again.

Just as she clicked off the light and climbed under the covers, she heard her phone vibrate on the night stand. She reached over, and for some reason she just knew who it was. As she lit up her screen, a small message box came across it and a smile spread across her face, and she knew that fate had it figured out a long time ago.

I've missed you more than you'll ever know. Sweet dreams San.. xoxo-B


The sound of Quinn's car outside alerted Brittany that she was indeed running extremely late for lunch. She had been starring in the mirror for well over twenty minutes, just thinking about everything. Literally. She couldn't stop the millions of thoughts that had been flying through her head from the time she had left the picnic yesterday until this very moment.

She had barely slept last night, mostly because she was starring at the screen of her cell phone debating whether or not to text Santana. She wanted to go over to her house and hang out, just enjoy each other's company as much as possible, but she knew she needed to give the brunette her space. So instead, she settled on a late night text that received an immediate response.

I've missed you too B… so much. I'll see you tomorrow. G'nite -S

She had stayed awake almost all night re-reading the message, just relishing in the fact that she and Santana were on speaking terms again. She was still freaking out about the fact that she was leaving in the morning and they still hadn't come to any full reconciliation, but she had to stay positive. She had to think long term and stop dwelling on the present situation, because the present was still fickle and unclear.

She knew that since her and Santana were reintroduced, they wouldn't fall apart again. Both knew they'd work hard to stay in touch, but Britt wanted so much more than that. Yea, she knew it would be hard, but she wanted to be with her. She wanted to call her and tell her she loved her just because she could. She wanted to fly to Indianapolis and only be able to stay for a couple of days but know that those couple of days would be the best two of her week. She wanted to be wrapped up in warm covers, Santana asleep on her chest, neither leaving the safety of their bedroom for the entire weekend.

These were the things Brittany wanted, but the threat of Santana's mother was still ringing in her head. "Santana won't be able to do long distance…" and Britt knew she was right. Santana wouldn't be able to handle being away from each other; only seeing each other when one could afford to fly to see the other.

It would be hard.

But it would be worth it.

Brittany was sure of it. And even with all of the questions in her head, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door, smiling at her mom before slipping out into the summer afternoon. She practically skipped to Quinn's car, earning a small smile from the blonde behind the wheel as well as an eye roll, before they pulled off and headed to the restaurant.

"What are you so happy about?" Quinn asked, a teasing tone to her voice as they pulled up to a red light. She could tell that something had her best friend in a good mood and she was curious to know if it had to do with their number three that they were about to have lunch with.

"I don't know, I'm just happy." Brittany responded, staring out as downtown Lima slipped by her window. And it was true, she was happy. She hadn't felt this great in a long time, and finally understanding that she would go to hell and back to get Santana made her chest flutter and put her stomach in knots (the good kind).

She could tell that Quinn wanted to know more, but she also knew that Quinn wouldn't ask. The other blonde in the car knew when to press Britt for information and when not to, and right now, she could tell the last thing B wanted was to be nagged at. So instead, she did what they used to do: crank up the car stereo, roll down the windows, and just drive.

Brittany had to laugh as they pulled up to Breadstix. It was almost too comical to know that even after all of these years, Santana still preferred this place over just about any other restaurant in Lima. To quote her from yesterday, 'That place is still the shit. And you bet your ass I'll have baggies in my purse to snatch some breadsticks for the road!'.


Santana was already sitting in their regular booth when the two blondes walked in. She watched as both looked around, searching to see if she was there, and just enjoying the moment of watching Brittany. She watched as she smiled at the hostess and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She noticed that both blondes seemed more relaxed about this lunch date then they had been the day before when all three were in a state of jitters just talking about it.

Then their eyes met and something happened. A smile that could put the sun to shame graced that perfect face and Santana knew she was finished. She knew that she couldn't fight this anymore; there was no denying the fact that she was still, 100%, head over heels in love with Brittany S. Pierce. She realized she was smiling back just as wide when she glanced to the left of Britt and saw the smug look on Quinn's face.

They both approached the booth and Britt slid in first, waiting on Quinn to sit next to her. Santana thought this was odd, usually it was Quinn who sat by herself, but she let it slide because she knew that Britt had no idea that she wanted her next to her. Santana wanted to feel the heat coming off her skin and be consumed by the smell of her perfume, but instead she was getting the perfect view of a perfect smile, so she figured it was a win win either way.

It took both girls about thirty seconds of staring at each other to realize that Quinn hadn't gotten into the booth with them. When Santana looked up with a questioning look on her face, Q just laughed and with a quick shrug of her shoulders, offered her only explanation.

"I have a feeling that three will be a crowd." She stated honestly. Quinn didn't care about a lot of things, but the two girls in front of her were very important and held a spot very deep in her heart, and she didn't want to intrude on the possibility of them rekindling not only their friendship, but a relationship as well.

"Don't be stupid Q, sit your ass down." Santana said knowingly. She knew what Quinn was doing and she was grateful for that, but she also hadn't seen her in a long time and wanted to enjoy her company every bit as much as Britts. "Plus since you're the one who came up with the idea, you're paying, so you can't leave." She looked up with a smirk on her face, daring either blonde to protest; when neither did, they waved the server over and ordered.


"You know, this food isn't as good as I remember it to be." Brittany said over a mouthful of lasagna, "Maybe it's because I've had real Italian in New York, but really San, this place doesn't come close."

Obviously Santana didn't care about how close it was to real Italian, because right now she was devouring her baked ziti, completely ignoring the jab at her favorite restaurant. But she also couldn't help the word vomit that she was prone to have in the presence of a certain blonde.

"Well then maybe I need to come to New York and have some of this real Italian that you speak of."

And if you could keep your damn mouth shut you wouldn't be blushing like a fool right now!

She glanced up and noticed the matching smiles that both blonde's were sporting and she didn't miss the glint that passed over Brittany's eyes at the mention of her coming to New York. It was as if she had been thinking it herself, and in the split second their eyes met, Santana felt that bond between them that had felt severed for so long, piece back together. It was their silent conversation bond, the one that drove Quinn absolutely mad and left other people wondering how they knew each other as well as they did. Santana knew what B was thinking, but the blonde voiced it anyway, wanting to be as clear as possible.

"I'd love to take you out to dinner in New York..."

And there it was. The first invitation thrown out for everyone to see; laid out for Santana to take and she could tell that Brittany was going to wait patiently until she did so.

"I think we could work something out." Santana replied, and she heard the double meaning in her words as did the two women across from her. The room was once again lit up by Brittany's smile.


"Did you fucking hear that?" Brittany yelled right after jumping into Quinn's car. They had just finished lunch and said their goodbyes to Santana, well, Quinn said goodbye to Santana.

Brittany just stared at San for a split second before giving her a hug and unbeknownst to Q, whispered in her ear, "Can I see you again before I leave?" She received a sigh of relief from the brunette and a whispered 'yes' before San pulled out of the hug and climbed into her own car.

"Yes B, I heard her." Quinn replied, trying hard to cover up the huge smile on her own face that her two best friends finally figured their shit out. "And I told you this was a good idea!" Quinn couldn't help but give herself a mental pat on the back because she had said from the very beginning of all this that they would figure it out and that it would just take some time, and right now, she knew she was right.

She could see the way both Brittany and Santana were basically bouncing in their seats the entire lunch, she saw the way they hugged and held on just a little bit longer than usual, and she heard the whispered 'yes' that Santana gave before leaving. She wasn't sure what the question was, but she had a good idea. Of course, she'd never let either of them know that, but it made her heart feel lighter knowing that the two that were supposed to last forever were finally back on track.

Quinn realized she was on autopilot and was already parked in front of Brittany house without realizing it. She heard Brittany tell her she'd see her in the morning for their flight and watched as the blonde bounced toward her house, an obvious spring in her step. She waited by the curb until Britt got inside and let out a sigh of relief. She knew that the coming months were going to be difficult, but she also had a gut feeling that there would be a lot of Santana in her near future.


Santana still hadn't made it home; instead she was driving the streets of her home town, wasting all of her mom's gas and contemplating when it would be ok to text Britt so they could hang out. And almost like clockwork, her phone was beeping.

Come over when you can, my mom wants to see you! xoxo-B

She wasn't going to waste time deciding if she should respond back really fast or wait a couple more songs before doing so; she didn't have time for games anymore.

Ok if I come over now? I'm still out and about and I don't have anything going on the rest of the day. –S

She barely put her phone in the cup holder before it went off again.

Just get here! xoxo-B

She barked out a laugh at their bantering and couldn't help but punch the gas a little harder when the light turned green, weaving through the back roads until she reached Brittany's parents' house.

When she shut off the engine, she couldn't help but stare at the house in front of her and be flooded with memories. This was the first time she had seen this house since the day after graduation. She had purposefully avoided driving down this road every time she came into town since then; knowing it would only cause her pain. Secretly she had also been avoiding it for another reason; she had been avoiding Marcia Pierce.

The eldest blonde of the household had always been someone she admired, but it was hard to see her without seeing the features shared by her daughter. The long blonde hair, high cheekbones, and exotic looking blue eyes; they all reminded her of the thing that she lost, and she had avoided seeing that for a long time. Occasionally she would be caught by surprise at the grocery store when she was in town randomly, or at some mutual friend's family holiday party, and most of the time it was just plain awkward.

Both would dance around the subject of Brittany, never asking or telling anything until it all became too much and they'd say a quick goodbye, both knowing that the conversation would eventually turn to the one subject neither could discuss.

Santana couldn't help but remember the Christmas after Brittany had left and how she intentionally went to a party with her parents, knowing the Pierce's would be there. When she had arrived, she searched up and down the house, looking for the one person that could take away the throbbing that still had a hold in her chest. She remembers seeing the long blonde hair and pushing through the crowd, spinning the person around, only to have Marcia standing there.

She remembers the shock that registered on Mrs. Pierce's face followed quickly by something else, pity maybe? She was never sure because she turned back around and headed straight for the front door. She had heard Marcia calling for her to come back but she didn't. She just kept on walking until the cold became too much and she went home to cry herself to sleep once more.

Knock Knock!

She about jumped out of her seat when she heard the thumping on her window. She didn't even notice when Britt had walked up to her car and apparently the look on her face was pretty priceless because said blonde was now bent over laughing her ass off in the middle of the street. She huffed out a sound of annoyance before swinging her car door open and effectively hitting it against Brittany's ass that was still in the air from laughing. Britt fell to the ground where she continued to laugh and the sound made Santana's heart melt.

She stood in the street, just staring down at her best friend and couldn't help but let out a chuckle before reaching for her hands and hoisting her to her feet. What she didn't realize was how this action would cause them to be nose to nose, their breath mingling with each other's while sporadic laughs still pushed their way out of their mouths.

Santana felt her own breath catch a little when Brittany leaned in a little closer, their noses now touching and neither one of them daring to breathe. She wanted to kiss her. She wanted to kiss her so bad her legs were starting to shake and she thought she was going to pass out. But she took a quick step back and a steadying breath, knowing that right now, in the middle of a street, was not how she wanted that reunion to happen.

She saw the pout that formed on Brittany's lips but pushed it aside when she took in the woman standing on the front porch watching them. It was weird, but now that Britt was standing right in front of her, all animosity for Mrs. Pierce flew out the window. She understood now why Marcia had done what she did, and was only following the requests of her daughter to keep Santana at an arm's length.

She broke into a jog toward the front porch before she even knew what she was doing. She took the stairs two at a time and scooped up Brittany's mom in a tight hug. She felt the woman laugh a little before pulling back to get a good look at her. She looked her over for a quick moment, running a hand through her hair in the most motherly way possible before giving her a small smile.

"Hello Santana..." she said quietly, and that was all that was needed. Santana pulled her into another hug and whispered 'hey mom' into her neck.


Brittany was standing at the bottom of the stairs watching the moment between her mother and best friend. It was just like old times; this was how the two in front of her would greet each other after only a few days apart and she knew it was a big moment for the both of them. Brittany knew that her mom had always felt guilty for hiding things from Santana, and knowing that she had been the cause of it all made Britt's heart hurt. But seeing this scene unfold in front of her told her that everything was going to be ok.

"Alright you two, break it up, break it up." She chuckled when she saw Santana roll her eyes, but eventually the love fest died down and they all headed inside. They sat in the living room for hours, Santana just filling Marcia in on everything going on in her life and Brittany just smiling as the pieces continued to fall into place.

Marcia invited San for dinner, which she happily agreed to, and the three women set off to the kitchen; Mr. Pierce was out on business, so it was just the three of them for the evening. The conversation stayed relatively light throughout dinner; mostly just questions about Santana's days at Indiana University and her practice in Indianapolis.

Brittany was soaking it in like a sponge; absorbing every bit of information and storing it away. These were the moments she had missed with her best friend and she wanted to be filled in on them all. The small talk died down while they ate and a comfortable silence settled over them. As dinner came to a close, Marcia gave them some news.

"Brittany, I'm going to be at your Aunt Sarah's for the rest of the night, but I'll be home tomorrow before you fly out." She said, watching how comically wide her daughter's eyes seemed to get at this information. She wasn't sure if these two had their act together or not, but she didn't want to be within a 10 mile radius of this place either way.

Marcia grabbed her overnight bag and was heading for the door when she called out to Santana with her arms open wide, requesting a hug goodbye. San smiled a little and walked over to the door, wrapping her arms around someone she didn't realized she had missed terribly until they had been reunited.

"It was good to see you again." San said, the lump in her throat causing her voice to crack a little, something that didn't go un-noticed by the unusually observant women in the room. Marcia pulled back and gave her a stern look before responding,

"I expect to see you again very soon Santana." The way she said it made tingles run up and down Santana's arms; it wasn't a request, it was just a statement of fact, one that Santana hoped with all her heart would be true.

"You two be good and don't stay up too late." The eldest woman said, gaining eye rolls from both girls. "Britt, you have a flight tomorrow, you don't want to oversleep. Goodnight you guys!"

And when the front door closed softly behind her, neither girl was willing to move. It only took each a split second to realize that for the first time in 10 years, they were completely alone with one another.


TBC

xoxo-Kat