Chapter 20 - Devil Went Down to Georgia (Charlie Daniels Band)
Four Years Later
They didn't end up going to the same college, instead Brittany chose Tennessee and Santana went to USC. That is until her second year when she got an offer she couldn't refuse, a double major scholarship that allowed her to pursue her love of singing and her love of writing. If she wanted to write, New York was the best place for that and so she transferred to NYU. They agreed to let her credits transfer over, since she convinced them doing so would save them money and one hell of an argument. Now she was in her last year with an internship set up at Vogue.
As for her and Brittany, well they stayed together through their first year of college but somewhere after that things seemed to fall apart. Phone calls became short and far between, visits became non-existent as they both got caught up in their own lives. They had gone to prom together, and Santana was there when Brittany flew to L.A. for her first audition for a music video. It just proved what Santana had always believed, that sometimes love wasn't enough. Even after they had broken up they had occasionally sent emails to one another just to let the other know that they were okay but that too had stopped.
Santana didn't bother going to visit North Carolina too often, her mother seemed to like to visit her, probably because of the shopping. The last time she had seen Brittany was a year ago in Tennessee, at least she thought it was Brittany. Her arm was wrapped around the waist of some baseball player, she hadn't noticed Santana and Santana hadn't bothered to figure out if it really was her ex neighbour. In her heart she knew that it was though, one look at the girls slender but firm legs, blonde flowing hair and bubbly personality, she knew it was her. Especially because they were at Vols game, and Brittany loved nothing more than going to see her Vols play.
She now found herself in a nice uptown apartment with a roommate that she got along with most of the time. They mostly stayed out of each others way, and Santana was sure that if she wasn't friends with the girl she'd probably hate her based on looks alone. They met in Santana's first year at NYU, the girl had taken a liking to Santana's rough and tough attitude. Under normal circumstances she would have told the girl where to go but she didn't know anyone in New York so she was not about to piss off the first person that genuinely seemed to like her.
She had her head in her textbook when she heard the knock at her door. There was no question who it was so she sat back and turned around in her chair. "Come in Berry."
"Hi Santana, sorry to bother you, I know that you're studying but I just wanted to clarify that it was okay that an old friend of mine come over this weekend."
"I said it was fine Berry as long as said friend doesn't sleep in my bed or touch my stuff no bones will be broken. I'm going home for the weekend, my mother said that it was about time I made an appearance."
"What? I thought you were going to be here? I was excited for you to meet my friend." The girl frowned and almost looked like she was about to cry.
"I know but duty calls, sometimes I have to be a good daughter."
Rachel leaned against the doorframe. "Isn't California a little far to go home for the weekend?"
Instead of telling Rachel the full truth, she laughed and told her to leave so that she could go back to reading. For once the shorter girl didn't complain, she simply walked out of the room and closed the door on her way out. There was no real reason for her to not tell Rachel about North Carolina but in an odd way it was her way to keep that part of her life to herself. She had left her heart in North Carolina and so whenever she talked about it, it only hurt. Knowing what Rachel was like, it was a conversation she never really wanted to have with the girl.
North Carolina - Next Day
"Mama, I'm home." Santana announced as she walked through the front door. When her mother didn't answer she smiled and shook her head as she walked towards the kitchen where she saw her mother sitting at the table. Her heart stopped momentarily when she noticed the blonde in the room.
"Oh good you're home, finally, you're father is just at work he should be home shortly." She walked over and gave her mother a hug.
"Santana, it's good to have you home, I've been hearing great things about you and New York." The blonde woman stood up and engulfed the girl in a hug.
Santana genuinely smiled. "It's nice to see you Karen, it's been too long. Next time mom comes to visit you should tag along, we can raise a little hell in New York."
"That would be wonderful Santana, thank you. You're so grown up, just yesterday you were laying pool side in worrying about what college you wanted to go too."
"I know, it's a little weird to be back here but I forgot how beautiful it was."
Over the next few hours Santana sat with her mother and Karen catching up and having a nice girl chat. The topic of the younger Pierce never came up and Santana was thankful that even the girls mother knew that it was a touchy subject.
New York
Rachel excitedly ran to the door the second she heard the knock. Throwing the door open she wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Britt, it's so good to see you. I miss you!"
Brittany laughed and hugged the girl back. "Miss me enough to let me in?"
"Right sorry, come on in."
"So where's this hot room mate I keep hearing about, that has almost as much talent as you do?"
Rachel laughed as the two old friends sat down on the couch. "She went home for the weekend."
"Here I was ready to hit on her." Brittany laughed.
Rachel rolled her eyes and stood up. "Get ready, I'm showing you the city tonight. It's been way to long since you've been here."
"Works for me, but next time you have to come visit me in Tennessee, get you to let loose a little."
"I can let loose, as a matter of fact we're going to let loose right now." The smaller girl laughed as she stood up and got ready to go out.
"If you say."
A couple days later Rachel gave Brittany one final hug before the girl got into her cab. She waved for a few seconds as she watched the cab pull away and fade into the traffic. "Who you waving at crazy?"
Turning around the smaller brunette smiled and hugged her room mate. "My best friend just left, you seriously have the worst timing Santana."
"Damn, from all I've heard about her she's really hot I would have liked to meet her." Rachel slapped her arm lightly as she laughed. "So what's her name anyways, you always refer to her as 'my best friend' like the girl doesn't have any other time."
"Brittany, her name is Brittany and she's…"
Santana held up her hand and shook her head. "Told ya Berry, I's does not wants to here any of your stories because they always cost me money for coffee just to stay awake."
"Fine, but when I got see her in a few months you are coming with me and I will not take no for an answer."
A Few Months Later
Santana was singing in the kitchen as she made a fresh batch of cookies when she heard the front door close. "Santana?"
"Kitchen." No sooner had she spoken she saw Rachel appear in the kitchen. "What? You have that look on your face like I'm not going to like whatever it is but that you are super excited."
Rachel smiled and it only caused Santana to worry a little more. "I bought us two plane tickets to go to Tennessee to see Brittany this weekend."
The Latina felt her heart drop and a numb feeling take over her. She quickly reminded herself that Brittany was a popular name and that there was no association with the love of her life. Who, if she recalled correctly had moved on and from what she had heard from Mercedes a year ago about her the girl and her boyfriend were getting really serious. So serious that she had brought him home to meet her parents and her friends.
"Why do you have that look on your face?"
Leaning back on the counter Santana ran her fingers through her hair. "Remember the ex I told you about?"
Rachel nodded. "The one that you still have yet to get over and you regret not applying to the same school as her so you two could have been together."
Santana nodded. "Her name was Brittany, so whenever I hear that name it kind of just stings a little still."
"Don't worry, it'll be a fun weekend and who knows maybe you'll even forget about your ex Brittany."
"Does your friend have a boyfriend?" Santana wiggled her eyebrows making Rachel leave the room. "Well, does she?" The girl yelled after her roommate.
A second later she a heard the girl answer. "As a matter of fact no, her and her boyfriend broke up not long ago." There was a pause before the shorter girl spoke again. "No that does not mean you can hit on her." Santana laughed as she finished cleaning up the kitchen before going to pack. She figured the weekend away might do her some good, finals were right around the corner and going away for the weekend would be a good stress relief.
An hour later both girls were packed and ready to go, they hailed a cab and headed to the airport. "Thanks for coming with me."
"Thanks for paying for the ticket." Santana smiled before she put her headphones in and leaned back to get a quick nap in.
She didn't wake up until Rachel nudged her, telling her that they were about to land. A half hour later they were at Brittany's house, except Brittany wasn't home. The girl had left Rachel a key in the backyard so they could let themselves in. "Change and we'll head over to the bar to meet up with her?"
Santana nodded. "Sounds good, I'll go change in the bathroom." Without taking a look around she changed into a pair of tight fitted jeans, her old cowboy boots and a black tank top.
"Well Santana you sure know how to get your country on."
"What can I say, I've had some practise a time or two. Now let's go get our drank on."
Santana looked up at the sign and shook her head. "The Rammer Jammer."
"It'll be fun."
"Yeah with a bottle of tequila."
Rachel smiled as they walked into the bar. "Of course, Britt said she left me a bottle so we can help ourselves, she just went for dinner but she said she'll back to finish her shift in a little bit."
Sure enough when Rachel spoke to the bartender the girl handed her a bottle of Jose and a few shot glasses. She set the bottle and glasses on the table that Santana had got them with a smile. "We're getting crazy tonight."
"Yeah we are." Santana grinned as she poured them each a shot. "Cheers." They clinked glasses before downing the shots.
"Okay, must get limes." Santana laughed as the girl got up and headed over to the bar.
"Come on Berry, you don't need training wheels."
An hour later with half the bottle of tequila gone and various other drinks bought by guys and a few girls the two room mates were sufficiently drunk. Santana was dancing with a guy that had just bought her a drink when she heard Rachel squeal. "Britt!" When she turned around to finally get a glimpse of the girl all she saw was blonde hair. Perfect. She thought to herself, like she needed yet another reminder of her Brittany. "Santana, come hither."
Rolling her eyes Santana moved away from the guys, standing just behind the blonde girl. As the girl turned around she felt her heart warm up and it was as though someone unleashed a butterfly conservatory in her stomach. They stood still and looked at each other, neither moving or saying a word. It was then that Brittany smiled her beautiful smile like she had known along that Santana was Rachel's roommate. Rachel looked between them and it took her a little longer to figure things out than it normally would have if alcohol wasn't in her system.
Before they could speak the song changed and Brittany was being called. "Britt come on, we need you." Brittany smiled, picked up her cowboy hat and put it on as one of the guys helped her up onto the bar. "Ya'll are about to find out why this place is famous 'cause tonight the devil went down to Tennessee." The bartender that had called Brittany over stood next to her as they started to move their feet. Santana and Rachel visibly gulped and Santana couldn't tear her eyes off Brittany. The only thing age had done was made the girl even more gorgeous.
The girls kept dancing as the song continued. Brittany leaned over and grabbed a drink out of some guys hand and downed it causing everyone in the bar to cheer a little louder. It was then that Brittany and the girl next to her started to wave Santana over. The girl shook her head but Rachel smiled slyly as she realised the full extent of what was going on. The smaller girl gave Santana a push and the guys around them picked Santana up and put her on the bar. The two blonde bartenders sandwiched her between them as Brittany put her hat on the Latina. Santana took a deep breath as she felt Brittany's midsection rub against her own. Looking down she saw that the girls abs were still perfectly toned and she still smelled as good as ever.
Brittany started to slide down Santana's body before turning around and grinding into the girl. As she turned back around she grabbed onto the girls hips and started to move them with hers as the bartender behind her did the same. Soon after that the girl behind her handed her a drink that she quickly downed before the glass was taken from her. She moved with Brittany as if the past four years had never happened. Brittany grabbed her leg and pulled it up to her hip before tipping her backwards as the song ended. The crowd settled down and Santana was helped off the bar, followed by Brittany.
The two former lovers and neighbours walked back to their friend. "Did you know about this?" Santana asked Rachel who shook her head.
"I swear I had no idea, I never put it together, you said you were from California."
"Wait so if you two are best friends than your old house is my parents house."
Brittany smiled as she nodded her head. "That would be correct." The blonde laughed as Rachel started to sway backwards. "Woah, easy buddy." She helped the girl sit down on the stool.
"You knew?" Santana looked at Brittany and watched the girls reaction to her question. "For how long?"
"When I came to visit a few months ago, you have a picture of you and Quinn on the fireplace mantel. That and the apartment smelled like you, don't worry Rachel didn't let me into your room though."
The bartender that had been dancing behind Santana walked over and smiled at her. "Hey, here's my number, call me sometime."
"Thanks." She winked at the girl before looking back at Brittany who was shooting lasers at the other blonde.
"I can't believe you are her ex girlfriend." They laughed as they looked over at Rachel, head on the table and ready to fall over at any moment.
"Let's get you home." Brittany practically picked the small girl up off the stood and helped her out of the bar with Santana right behind her.
On the cab in the way back to Brittany's Rachel fell asleep in between them, her head on Brittany's shoulder. "Some job you got."
"Yeah, it's fun and it pays the bills."
"Saw you in a few music videos what happened to that?"
Brittany laughed. "School." Santana nodded in understanding. "I don't think I've ever seen you this drunk Ms. Lopez."
Santana let out a hardy laugh. "I haven't been this drunk in awhile, Rachel definitely got her mission accomplished.
Once back at Brittany's Santana helped the blonde carry Rachel inside. They set her down on the couch as she started to wake up but when they looked back at her after getting her shoes off she was fast asleep. "She'll stay that way all night, but she'll complain in the morning."
Santana shrugged. "Let her, not like I'm not used to a little Berry whining."
"You look amazing by the way." Brittany suddenly blurted out as Santana tried to take her boots off. The blonde got closer before leaning down and helping the girl with her boots. "You never could take these off on your own." When she stood up they were inches from one another. "We can't do this, you know we can't do this." She spoke softly as she backed away from Santana little. Santana shrugged, she was too drunk to care about the consequences of climbing into Brittany's. "We both have school and…" Brittany was cut off when she felt Santana's lips on hers. It took all her will but she managed to push Santana away. "We can't, I can't. I'm sorry."
"Right your ex boyfriend or current boyfriend. Sorry."
The blonde nodded and gave her directions to the guest bedroom upstairs. The night passed slowly for both girls, neither getting much sleep. The weekend was spent in an awkward haze, both girls trying to put on a front for Rachel. They made sure to not be left alone together for more than a few seconds, neither wanting to talk about what happened. Brittany feeling bad for it and Santana feeling like a fool.
Once back in New York Santana asked Rachel to not bring Brittany up and she reluctantly told the girl what had happened. Later that night she heard the girl yelling into the phone at her best friend. Now all Santana could do was focus on school and try to get the memory out of her mind. There was just a moment she could not forget, the moment when she felt Brittany kiss her back and it was like fireworks all over again.
A/N: Hope you all liked it, as always feel free to let me know what you think. Selfishly I couldn't write a country Brittana fic without having Brittany dance on a bar.