"Fabray, I haven't heard from you in days!" Santana happily spat, picking up her ringing phone.

"Who's fault is that?" Quinn laughed over the line. "How are you?"

Santana grinned, "There's not much to tell, the simple life of Lopez... Just hanging around with my babe, chilling at each other's places, watching movies, stuff like that..." She answered blushing. Their little weekend had been such a refreshing couple of days.

"The question is, do you manage to see the movie's end?"

"I can't answer that..." She giggled. "Anyways, you, what about you? How you doin'?"

"Well, I placed an ad to hire a new bestie since the last one deserted, but it's great. I'm flipping through the applications right now. They are all wonderful people!"

"Okay, I get it," Santana chuckled. "She'll be at work tonight so I'm free. Fancy something together?"

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so easily convinced!" Quinn laughed, "Since you ask, there's a movie I want to see at her theatre actually. I figured you might want to come-"

"God, you're so not going alone! Hell yeah, I'm coming. No way you're gonna talk to her without me!" Santana freaked out a little.

Never. Santana had never introduced someone to her friends. It seemed like such a trivial thing, but to her it seemed like a freaking high mountain to climb. She had barely ever been with someone more than a month. These women who'd come in and out of her life had never seemed worthy enough to become really involved in her life. Santana had never been satisfied with her love life. And even that was an understatement. Used to protecting herself from these flaming women, the mere idea of introducing them as her "girlfriend" was terrifying. If these women happened to be called "girlfriends" - these women she had very little feeling for, if any at all - then what would it say about herself? No, there was no way she'd introduce them.

But Brittany was different. They'd been together for a little over than a month, which meant that they had already outlasted most of Santana's previous relationships, by far. To be honest, Santana hadn't even thought about the fact that it was so obvious: she and Brittany would last much longer than that. She was just so sure about it. However, this brought her to some very new territory, actual relationships based on something other than sex to relieve the pressure of an overly stressful life. She realized this relationship was becoming a huge deal. Brittany alone was a huge deal. Her heart started to race, adrenaline rushing in. When Quinn mentioned she might actually meet her girlfriend, even for two seconds, even for the exact time to print a ticket and say goodbye, it sounded like some sort of official meeting. The two people dearest to her, meeting. In Santana's mind, it was almost too much to take.

"What time and where? I'll pick you up." Santana spat, determined to control everything about that night.

Quinn laughed, "I thought I could wait for you there-"

"Nope, not gonna happen, I'll pick you up and this is not up for discussion."

"Okay I get it, Miss I-freak-out-cause-of-nothing. 8 at my place. Does this work for you?"

"Noted."

"I can't wait to see you and your girlfriend, if you don't die out of stress first," Quinn teased playfully.

"I'll leave you now, goodbye Quinny "Mean" Fabray."

"Love you too, S.!"

Laughing, Santana hung up. Now she was in for a very long afternoon filled with anxiety. She planned every word she would say, every expression she would use to keep Quinn from actually talking to Brittany. She would do everything to just grab the tickets and head to the room. She would only escape for a second during the ads to go steal a kiss to Brittany once she'd have served every waiting customer. Yes, that seemed like a good plan, at least a safe plan.

A few hours later, Santana rushed out of the office, determined to get to Quinn's apartment on time. Her friend was already waiting in front of the building, ready to go, indicating she knew Santana very well. She skipped to the car, a huge smirk cutting her face in two.

"I can wait to see he-, I mean the movie!" Quinn teased through the open window, reaching for the door.

"Don't bullshit me Fabray, I know we're going just because you're too curious to function." Santana spat half joking.

"Well, it's half of the reason. I really want to see this movie though!" She laughed taking a seat in the car. "I must admit Santana, you're radiant! I haven't seen you like that in awhile!" Santana chuckled. "Feels good to be in love, huh?"

Santana stared at her friend with a wicked smile once she had heard the cursed words, "to be in love". She pulled herself together and started the car.

"I'm not," she let out, only half convinced. Quinn puffed, laughing. "Yet."

"Yeah, that's a little more honest."

Softly chuckling, Santana drove on the roads to get to the theatre, this wonderland where some of her best memories had recently taken place, where everything had started. Quinn couldn't stop teasing her, grilling her to get all the details from these past few weeks during which she hadn't seen her friend at all. As her heart raced like a storm, Santana parked and they headed to the theatre, Quinn laughing thrilled, and Santana giggling anxiously.

"Next!" A man in the booth yelled. Santana looked through the crowd to peek at the booth but there were too many people in front.

"Hold on, why isn't Brittany there?" Santana worried aloud.

"What?" Quinn looked up from the schedule she was reading as she waited in the line.

"That's a man in the booth, not Brittany."

"Next!" The man shouted again as the line was getting shorter.

"Maybe she took a break or something, chill." Quinn resumed reading.

"Next!" Santana looked all around for her but couldn't find her anywhere. She crossed her arms and started to pace. "Next!" The man kept shouting and it didn't help her nerves at all. Once their turn came, Santana had hard time hiding her concern.

"Hi, I thought Brittany was working tonight? Wasn't she?" She inquired with a sweet yet anxious smile.

"She called in sick. What movie, ladies?" The man hurried considering the still rather big line behind.

"'The Curse', please." Quinn stated plainly.

"What do you mean she called in sick, what happened to her?"

"I don't know Ma'am, I'm the boss' son. My father asked me to replace Brittany in a hurry 'cause she was sick. That's all I know, I'm sorry." He explained while printing the tickets and Quinn paid.

"What the fuck happened? She was fine when I left her this morning!" Santana thought aloud.

The man cleared his throat, "I don't mean to be rude but I have people waiting..."

"Yeah, of course, we're leaving. Thanks." Quinn pushed her dumbfounded friend out of the line. "Santana, we're leaving," she softly insisted as Santana's feet were stuck on the ground.

"She was more than fine this morning. You know what, I'll just give her a call. She probably has a very good reason. Hold on." She hurriedly looked for a phone and waited for Brittany to pick up, anxious as hell.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Santana," Quinn tried to reassure her friend with her softest voice.

"She's not picking up," Santana started to pace again, "She's not picking it up! Damn shit! I'm getting her voicemail!" She started as her friend watched her, quite sad for her. "She's cheating on me. It's the only reason. She called in sick once so we could happily fuck. She could totally do that with someone else.."

Quinn laughed at her friend losing her temper so easily. "I'm really convinced it's nothing, Santana."

"Hi sweetheart, it's me. I just wanted to hear your voice, I miss you... Call me back, please. K, bye..." she hung up staring at her phone.

"Why didn't you just tell her you were here and worrying?"

"...and risk to be seen as a psycho girlfriend stalking her? No thanks." She spat, deep in thought, eyes locked on her phone. "I should probably go at her apartment or-"

"Santana! Come on, since when do you freak out like this for a girl!" Quinn kidded to ease her, "Maybe she ate something bad and didn't feel like working. Don't be out of your mind, come on. If it was important, she would have called, it's probably nothing."

Santana bit her lips listening to her friend. "Yeah, but what if she's with another gi-"

"She's not cheating on you, for God's sake! You don't spend a whole month chasing a girl to cheat her three days later, come on!" She pushed her friend in the theatre's corridors. "Set your phone on vibrate, so if she calls during the movie, you can go outside to take the call, okay? Really, stop freaking out." Santana remained silent, stressed and sad. "We can sit in the last row, the closest to the door, deal?"

"Okay..." Santana answered, internally admitting she was maybe overreacting a bit... maybe a lot. If Brittany wasn't answering, she still could drive by her apartment to see if she was there or not after the movie. "Okay, let's go," she said pushing the dark room's door open.

The movie went by and Santana had hard time getting into the action. She kept looking back and forth between the screen and her phone. All probable reasons for Brittany's sudden absence passed through her mind, a wicked parade of irrational worries and unreasonable thoughts. One hour into the movie, she couldn't stand it anymore. She bent to hide the light from her phone once opened and texted.

To Brittany:
Hey sweetheart, I'm starting to worry, it's not like you not to answer... Is everything alright? Call me. xo Your Santana.

"Are you serious? Are you texting her in the middle of the movie?" Quinn whispered.

"But I'm so worried!"

"Shhhh..." Someone complained.

"It says my text's not delivered." Santana whispered the lowest she could. "I'm coming back, I gotta call her again. I'll die if I just sit here and don't do anything-"

"Shhhh!"

"Be right back." She told her friend standing up carefully not to make a single sound. Quinn nodded and locked her eyes back on the screen.

As soon as the door was closed, she called. She skipped outside waiting for the ringtone to tinkle in her ear. She immediately ended up on the voicemail. "What the fuck?" She hung up and walked outside in a hurry. Maybe it was the service in the theatre that was bad after all, she pushed the exit doors and tried again. Straight to voicemail again. Now it was officially time to freak out. She started to think about her options, all the things she could do. She heard a sound from the booth, she rushed to talk to the man again.

"Hey! Hey you!" She spat, her bossy temper at its best, "I'd like to talk to your father, please."

"Now? It's past eleven!"

"So what? A man running a theatre is not sleeping at eleven. Call him."

The man puffed, mocking, "I'm not gonna call him."

"The customer's always right! Call him...now." She ordered, determined to find out what Brittany had said when she had called in sick. The man just stared at her, hoping she would just back off. Exasperated, she looked for some cash in her back pocket and put it on the counter. "Maybe he has insomnia and will be very glad to actually get a phone call and have a little chat." The man hesitated, she doubled right away. "A really, really infuriating insomnia."

Sighing, the man took the money and grabbed his phone. "Dad, someone wants to talk to you-... Yeah now-... Yeah I know, but she gave me cash so... Okay." He put his phone back in his pocket. "He's coming."

"Thank you," She politely said but had long since stopped caring about actually seeming nice.

Within the next few minutes, the theatre's boss came outside.

"Is it you who wants to complain?" He blurted, already annoyed.

"Hi, I'm not complaining, I want to know why Brittany's not working tonight."

"And who are you? Why does it concern you?" He asked rudely.

"I'm her-..." She stopped herself. She had absolutely no idea about Brittany's relationship with her boss, and feared spilling she was her girlfriend maybe wasn't the wisest thing. "Sister-in-law, I'm trying to contact her but her phone is down and she was supposed to be working tonight. I have an important family issue and it can't wait."

"But I don't know why she's not here!" He let out obviously very sincere. "A man called this afternoon saying she couldn't come in tonight or neither tomorrow and that she'd call me back herself tomorrow to talk to me."

"A man? Who?"

"I don't know at all who he was. Tommy? Tom maybe?" The man tried to remember out loud.

"Yeah Tom, okay," She thought out loud, trying to put all the informations together. "What did Tom say exactly?"

"That she couldn't come, that's it. He seemed in a rush. I figured it was pretty important..."

"Do you have Tom's phone number?" She said already grabbing her phone to call him.

"No, it was an unlisted number."

"What the-... Okay. You know what, nevermind. Thanks."

"You're welc-" The boss answered but she was already rushing into the theatre.

She came back into the dark room, barely paying attention to the noise she was making.

"Any news?" Quinn inquired as Santana grabbed her jacket and purse on an empty seat.

"It sounds bad, I'm going to her apartment now."

"Now?" Quinn let out surprised.

"Shhhh!"

"Oh shut it, asshole!" Santana threw the complaining person a vicious look that kept him from saying anything else. "Her phone is disabled and her neighbor called in sick for her. I want to know what the fuck is going on."

"Okay... Drive safely, please..." Quinn said, perfectly aware of her friend's habit to drive way too fast when angry.

"I'll keep you posted once I know what the fuck is happening." Santana put her bag on her shoulder, kissed her friend goodbye. "Sorry for the lame escape..."

"Don't worry, I understand! Go!" Quinn let out with a smile.

Reassured that her friend wasn't angry at all, Santana gave her a smile too and rushed out as fast as she could. She frantically tapped on the wheel to ease her nerves each time the traffic lights turned red, praying for this situation to just be a nightmare she'd soon wake from. It was just so strange and alarming. She knew Brittany would call in sick just like that, but why Tom would do it for her? Why would he call like that, in a rush? It just made no sense at all. Her heart couldn't stop beating loud, hurting her chest as minutes ticked by. She didn't care anymore if Brittany would think she was overreacting, or too stalkerish, or even too protective over her. The excruciating need to know she was safe was destroying it all.

Finally arriving, she looked up at her window to see if there was light in her girlfriend's apartment. A huge lump formed in her throat when she found dark windows, proof of an empty place. After all, it was late, maybe she was indeed sick and sleeping. She decided to give it a shot, parked and made her way through the building. Climbing the stairs two by two, she was more worried than ever. She reached Brittany's floor in a flash, almost threw herself on the door and drummed against it.

"Brittany, wake up, it's me!" She kept drumming on the locked door. "It's me, Santana!" Still no answer. "Fuck..."

She wondered if, perhaps, Brittany might have hidden a key somewhere. She fumbled around the doorframe and found a small key. Without a second thought, she unlocked the door and found the same apartment as always, paintings and canvas everywhere, a clean kitchen table, a messy desk, her bed neatly made, but no Brittany...anywhere. She turned all the lights on and began to inspect the place, looking for any clue that could relieve her aching heart. The kitchen, her desk, all were left in the same condition as when she had left the apartment earlier that day. She went to the bed, Brittany had set her own earrings on the bedside cabinet. Santana touched her earlobes, she had indeed forgotten them that morning and never realized. She smiled at the cute scene, her jewels set all shiny and proud by Brittany on the wooden furniture, between her favorite book and her alarm clock. Determined not to lose focus, she kept searching but everything was sadly, utterly normal. Making her way out, she looked around one last time and spotted Brittany's phone on a table. She grabbed it, the battery was obviously dead. At least she knew why she wasn't answering and that she had probably just left forgetting to take her phone with her.

Sighing, Santana closed the door and put the key back, defeated. All she could think of was going back home and curling up on her bed, waiting for a miracle that'd bring her girlfriend back to her. Anyhow, she had a terrible night ahead, just waiting for her.

Santana's coffee was getting cold, forgotten on corner of her desk as she tried, for the thousandth time to pull herself together that day. Leaning on her elbows, holding her aching forehead with her both hands, she looked like a living disaster. Sleep had never come that past night. She made her way to her office like a ghost haunting the building's Human Resources department. At the earliest hour, she had driven by Brittany's apartment again, only to find the same dark windows, the same closed door and the same almost-messy loft. She had already called her a dozen times, hoping the blonde would finally come home, recharge her batteries and end this worry that knew no bounds. Telling her that her grandma had a problem, her sister's boyfriend just broke up with her, any reason would do. She just needed to one to hold on to. Worry had made her miss her voice as if she had seen her for the last time ever, just the day before. She only wanted to hear Brittany say those simple yet most wonderful words: "Hi sweetheart."

Someone entered her office but she was in such a bad mood that she didn't even look up.

"Miss Lopez?" Her department's receptionist asked.

"What do you want?" She spat, frozen in her sad position.

"Hm... I'm just bringing your mail..." Santana didn't respond. "Can I just leave it there?" The receptionist carefully approached, attempting to make the envelopes slide on the desk.

"Do you need a fucking manual to learn how to drop envelopes and just go?"

The receptionist held her breath, dropped the mail on the desk and tiptoed out the office as quickly as possible, fearing she might get Santana even angrier. The clock kept chiming on the wall, the only sound bringing actual life in the room. Santana took the irritating sounds, her bad mood seemed to grow even more as the seconds passed by. Someone came in again and Santana sighed loudly.

"Santana, do you plan on torturing our poor receptionists any longer?"

"Do you plan on annoying the shit out of me and actually tempting me to make some drastically low cuts in your budget?" Santana replied harshly to her co-worker, not moving an inch.

"Are you alright? Is there anything you want to talk-"

"If I needed an armchair psychiatrist, I'd go talk on the Tyra Bitch Banks show about what pains in the ass my co-workers are. Get the fuck out of my office."

"Sant-"

"Out!"

The door was being closed in a soft move. She heard her co-worker clear his voice in front of her door.

"Attention everybody, our dear director must not be disturbed today. You all may go back to work. Thank you," her co-worker announced with a playful voice. For him, she was just having one of those days, angry and tired. Even if lately, she had been happy and actually nice, being rude was Santana's main reputation. There was nothing more normal than that.

She sighed even more, feeling kind of sorry for herself. She didn't like being this way, not at all. But she felt insanely trapped. She looked at the clock on the wall, dark circles surrounding tired eyes. It was barely noon and she had absolutely no idea about how to manage for the rest of the day. She grabbed her mug full of cold coffee and took a sip, the bitter, cold drink was still the best thing that happened to her that day. She leaned against the leather of her armchair and turned it around to look out the large office windows. She rested her aching head, staring at the cloudless sky and sipping her coffee. Her eyelids felt so heavy, rocked to sleep by the ticktock of the clock. She closed her eyes, unable to fight her tiredness anymore.

A distant sound tickled her ear and she woke up in a hurry. She looked around, everything seemed normal and silent. Her phone buzzed. Before she could take another breath, she made her armchair twirl, put her mug down almost spilling it all over her desk and caught the buzzing phone with both hands like a predator seizing its quarry. She couldn't smile wider as Brittany's name flashed on and off on the small screen.

"Brittany?" Santana let out taken by surprise.

"Hey..." Brittany barely whispered, the voice of a ghost breathing words over the line.

"Are you alright? I was so worried!"

Brittany giggled but immediately groaned as if laughing was hurting her, "You're gonna laugh... I'm just coming back from the Hospital-"

"The Hospital? What happened?"

"Yeah, that's the funny part... I broke a rib..."

"You what?" Santana had no words, falling apart in her chair.

"It's pretty stupid actually," Brittany giggled again, "Ouch... Tom and I went to the art supply store yesterday and we bought a canvas that was almost too large for the stairwell. We still tried to make it up the three floors but I lost my balance at a turn and fell down the stairs..." She giggled again, "I'm so stupid sometimes... Ouch..."

"Oh my god..."

"And this dumbass forgot to take our phones when he left for the hospital after I'd been taken away in the ambulance. I'm so sorry I couldn't call you..."

"What are you saying! You don't have to be sorry... Does it hurt a lot? Oh my god, my poor babe..."

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm freaking high with painkillers right now, I don't really know what reality is anymore..." She managed to joke despite her aching body and her sick voice.

"Oh my sweetheart... Do you need anything, is there anything I can do?"

"Nah, it's fine... I'm in my bed right now, Tom just left to get me something to eat. Fifty bucks that, with my luck, the food will be poisoned," she chuckled.

Santana bit her lip. All she wanted was to leave the office, drive all the way through the entire city just to get by her side. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do? I can come keep you company, you know..."

Brittany laughed, "Are you kidding or what? I look like Beetlejuice! The last thing I need is you seeing me like this! Nah, if Tom doesn't get lost in the corridors, it should be fine. I'll figure..."

Taking the news, her nails drummed on her wooden desk trying to find a way to help her. "You know what, I don't care. I'm leaving the office right now and I'm coming."

"But it's no fun and you already took days off for m-"

"Please... I can't stay here knowing you're hurt..."

"But I look awful! Definitely not sexy with these bandages-"

"Like I care! Tell Tom he can go, I'll take care of you this afternoon. Just give me an hour to get my stuff at home and come over for the night," she negotiated already on her way out, her bag glued to her shoulder, locking her office door in a hurry. She heard Brittany's sweet expression smile over the line, actually very pleased to see Santana act so attached to her.

She didn't want to waste another minute apart from her. After saying goodbye and hanging up quickly, she rushed to the parking lot and then to her house. All her irrational fears were gone, leaving behind a battlefield ready to be filled with love again. She finally lightened up. Now she would just go by her side and take care of her, show Brittany how dear she was. She only looked forward to caring for her. She didn't at all share Brittany's concern that maybe they weren't solid enough yet to overcome this sort of event. It wouldn't have made any difference if they had been together for only a few months or a few years... The need to be by her side in such bad times was erasing any hint of pride or shyness. Santana didn't need any more official commitment to feel bound to Brittany. Being with her was all that mattered.

Parking in front of Brittany's building, she couldn't stop smiling despite the bad news, learning for the first time in her life what being in love meant and how it felt like.

"Brittany, it's me!" Santana knocked on her door, carrying a big bag full of spare clothes, books, her computer and other necessary things. She had just taken everything, just in case.

"Come in, it's open!" Brittany shouted back.

Carefully, Santana pushed the door to find her lover standing in the middle of the apartment, some kind of lost. "Hey..."

Brittany slowly turned around, taking her time as an old lady would, a huge bruise coloring her cheek under a small bandage covering a tiny wound from the fall. Santana held her breath, it looked so impressive. "I warned you... I told you not to come," she softly giggled, holding on her hurting rib.

Santana, perplexed and worried, let her bag fall on the ground and rushed by her side. "Aww... What are you doing up, go back to bed..." She said gently taking hold of her face, stroking the bandage and giving her the sweetest kiss as a hello.

"I just need a glass of water to take my painkillers-"

"Go lay down. I'll bring it to you." She gestured that she should go.

"It's fine Santan-.. Ouch..." The pain took her over as soon as she turned around to grab a glass.

"Go!" Santana insisted with a smile.

Brittany had no strength to argue, "Okay..." She started to drag herself through the loft, a painful vision of her limping that made Santana grit her teeth in compassion.

She quickly found a glass and put water in it. She skipped back to her hurt girlfriend, to help her lay down. "Need help?" She softly asked seeing the blonde was having hard time sitting on her bed.

"I... hm... Ouch..."

"Hold on," Santana put the glass down on the bedside cabinet and went to support her back so she could lay down. Brittany gritted her teeth and softly groaned as her heavensent girlfriend helped her take the most comfortable position, all about soft and caring moves. "There you go..."

"Thanks..."

"Your glass and your pills, milady..." Santana joked, giving her the glass and opening the pill box Brittany had left there.

Brittany chuckled, "You so weren't supposed to see me like this. Not so soon... It's totally killing our sexy bubble," Brittany mumbled eyes down, actually feeling already guilty if the young couple they were wasn't surviving a recovery which would require deep and profound trust and care.

"I don't care if our bubble is sexy or not as long as you're in it with me."

Smirking, Brittany swallowed her painkillers.

Warmth woke Santana up. Curled up next to Brittany, they both had fallen asleep watching a movie. She was boiling, still wearing her the clothes she'd arrived in and drowning under Brittany's blanket. Her head was dizzy, bothered by the DVD's menu replaying its music over and over again. She peeked at the alarm clock, it was already six in the morning.

"Pffff..." She let out annoyed.

They had probably fallen asleep extra early for a barely restful sleep, both tuckered out for different reasons: Brittany by a massive dose of painkillers and Santana by the previous night's sleeplessness. The thing was that Santana needed be up at 6:30, so she could get ready for work. To be honest, she didn't know how she could manage a whole day when she felt so brainwashed already.

She peeked at Brittany, snuggling up deep in sleep, probably feeling cold considering how she was clutching the blanket. Santana rubbed her eyes and climbed out of the bed as carefully as she could. She folded her side of the blanket on Brittany so she would get warmer, and headed to the bathroom. There was no point on going back to sleep for a pathetic half an hour. She would have wind up even more messed up than she already felt. A cold shower would help her back on her feet.

Feeling a little perkier after the shower, she looked for clothes in her bag, wrapped up in her towel.

"Hey..." She heard Brittany mutter from the bed, followed by huge yawns.

She happily tiptoed towards the bed, "Good morning, babe."

"God I feel like I've been hit by a bus or something... Ouch..."

Santana grabbed the empty glass from the nightstand and went to fill it again. "Yeah I've taken these painkillers once before, they kick the hell out of you..." She softly said giving Brittany her pills and her glass.

"You had an accident too?" Brittany got rid of her sleepiness as she sat up in the bed and emptied the glass.

"Wisdom teeth," Santana chuckled. It seemed so trivial in comparison.

"Well, that hurts too!" She said with her sweetest smile, despite the sad bruise on her cheek and the bandage, now in disarray from the night. "Are you staying for breakfast with me...?" She softly asked, figuring Santana would leave soon considering she was already getting ready.

There were no words to express how good Brittany felt when Santana was around. Even hurt, even sick, Brittany had felt so reassured to have her around. Santana was always so smiling, so sweet with her, it was a sweet consolation for her pain. The idea of her leaving for the day already started to sadden her.

'Of course!" Santana answered with a silly smile finishing dressing up, wondering why even Brittany had to ask. She zipped down the dress she was sliding into with a flourish and made Brittany laugh. She was a ray of sunshine. "I'm gonna make some coffee."

Santana set the best breakfast table as neatly as she could, already knowing where Brittany kept her things, starting to feel at home. Brittany dragged herself to the kitchen table like a zombie crossing the loft.

"Do you think you're gonna survive today?" Santana kidded, half serious.

Brittany made a face, amused. She reached for the milk, but it was too far for her to grab without feeling pain. With a chuckle, Santana pushed it closer to her.

"Honestly, I always make fun of my grandma, but now it's all over," Brittany laughed, trying to open her bottle but failing. Her broken rib had stolen all her strength for clenching things. "Santana, can you...?" She asked, embarrassed.

Santana took a last sip of her coffee and came over to Brittany to help her with her breakfast. She bent to cuddle her from behind, reassuring her sighing girlfriend. "Come on, it's just for a couple of weeks. Think of it like a holiday! I'd like to read and watch movies all day!" Brittany held her breath. "What is it?"

"I can't work!" Brittany disconcerted out loud, realizing all of a sudden all what her condition implied. "I won't be able to work for weeks! Months maybe!"

"Calm down sweetheart, maybe not for a couple of days, but you'd still be able to paint, right? I mean, it can't be physically too taxing-"

"No, it's freaking demanding and-.. Oh my god... I can't afford a break right now, I have the opening in two months and I have so much work still unfinished... Oh my god Santana, I'm screwed!" She started to hyperventilate.

Santana rushed to get a seat next to her. She took Brittany's hands and stroked them to calm her down. "Brittany, listen to me, slow down... If you take two weeks to really relax and heal, you'd be able to work faster after, wouldn't you?"

"It doesn't work like that," Brittany pouted, so sad and angry at herself for hurting herself so stupidly. "I use oil paint, and it takes weeks to dry. I really have to paint now! And I need to paint, for me! I can't properly function if I can't paint!"

Crisis situations were her thing. Santana tried to think about a wise solution despite her freaking out girlfriend. There must be a solution. There always was.

"You really can't paint? Sorry if my question is silly but I don't understand how holding a brush is tiring..." She tried, taking the softest voice in case Brittany thought her question was stupid or rude.

"It's not about the brushes, it's about all the other moves! I need to open the paint pots. They always get stuck because of the dry paint, and then I have to switch the canvas on the easel, and force to grip them with the fasteners and-"

"Then you need an assistant!" Santana blurted. Getting an assistant to do the dirty work was such a common thing in huge enterprises such as the one she was working for. She was surprised not to have think about it earlier. "An art student or something like that!" She explained with a reassuring smile.

"But what would he do while I paint?"

"I don't know... You can make him do some research, or classify things-"

"No, really... Even for me, I wouldn't feel comfortable with someone watching me, I always painted by myself..."

"Okay so no assistant. What about a friend? A neighbor? Can't Tom help you? Can't he work with you?"

"Oh God no, he'd always criticize what I'd do. Besides he's a sculptor, he makes outdoor sculptures..."

"You're not helping, you know that." Santana half kidded, a bit defeated not to find a solution. "What can we do, what can we do..." Santana scratched her forehead.

Brittany stared back with big eyes, as one who felt stuck and terribly sad. To be honest, she had never been incapable of working, and the mere idea depressed her already. It was her reason to live, if someone or something took that away from her, even for a day, a week, a month... it was like she was losing everything. She had a hard time holding back small tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She looked away, pretending to cough.

"I get it! I have solution but you're not gonna like it," Santana giggled. Brittany stared, fearing the worst. "What about... I help you. I can go to work in the mornings, grab my computer and work from here in afternoons..." she explained all happy and playful.

"You'd do that for me? I mean, no, you don't have to change all your schedule for me... I can figure, I don't know..."

"Would you mind if it's me that is helping you? Would it bother you to paint? 'Cause you know, I'd just have the eyes locked on the screen, you'll barely notice me-"

"That's a terrible idea." Brittany spat, not convinced at all by her own words. Santana was the only she could actually tolerate around her while painting, just because she actually was the only one to inspire her at the moment. It sounded like an endless source of inspiration, hence the best thing that could ever happen to her art. But Santana had a job, a very important position, full of responsibilities. It would be unfair for her to accept the offer.

"Is it, Brittany?" Santana asked rhetorically, raising a mocking eyebrow. She was convinced her idea was pure gold. Brittany remained silent, staring back, hoping she'd take back her own suggestion. Smirking, Santana grabbed her coffee on the table and emptied it in one big gulp. She kissed her softly and stood up. "I can't wait..."

"Santana, really-"

"I just have an important meeting this morning, so I might get in here around 2 or 3 PM maybe. Do you think you'll be alright on your own until then?" She asked all happy.

Actually, being "stuck" with Brittany sounded like the perfect cure for her very embarrassing lack of motivation at work. She had been daydreaming a lot lately, not to mention the previous day she had spent dying out of worry. Maybe working around Brittany was the solution for her own problem. Yes, it sounded like the perfect idea for both of them.

"I guess so..." Brittany let out, flushing red.

Even if Tom was a very good friend, Brittany knew he would never change his life for weeks just for her, even if he loved her from the bottom of his heart; even if it just meant moving from his own apartment -a few meters away from hers. He would never do it. And then here was Santana, her fairy godmother, aka her lover, willing to rescue her from the worst thing that could possibly happen to her. Love, it was flowing in her heart, warm waves of relief drowning her loud heartbeats. Only someone who truly loved her would ever do such a thing. Now she was sure, Santana loved her. "Love," her mind couldn't stop repeating that word.

"That settles it! Now, I gotta rush or I'll run late!" She kissed her again. To both of them, this kiss tasted different than before. More than attraction, a sweet and natural commitment flavoured their lips with an irresistible taste of heaven. "See you later, sweetheart..."

"Santana, I-" Brittany couldn't let the cursed words out of her lips. "Love", that was all she wanted to say but she just hadn't any idea on how to turn this word without sounding too grand, too soon, as if they were burning the steps.

"You what?" The brunette inquired all smiles.

"Thanks," She managed to let out.

Santana chuckled and went to kiss her again, "My pleasure."

Sorry for the wait! I had some issues with inspiration lately but it's all fixed right now :D
Tell me what you think!

Thanks Rach for the help ;)