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Chapter 21.

Santana took a deep breath before she pushed open the door to the small restaurant where she had agreed to meet up with Andrea. It had taken a lot of thinking but eventually she had come to the conclusion that she at least wanted to give her cousin a chance to explain herself better. Brittany wasn't too happy about it but she still supported her decision. Her girlfriend was having a therapy session today, much to Santana's relief, and Santana would pick her up after lunch and drop her off at Joey's.

Santana couldn't help but feel nervous. It had been so long since she'd last spent time with Andrea so she had no idea how to act around her. Andrea was already waiting for her and surprised her by pulling her into a hug. "Thank you so much for coming."

"Don't worry about it." Santana mumbled, awkwardly patting her on the back.

After they had ordered, a silence immediately fell over the table. Santana glanced around uncomfortably, fiddling with her hands distractedly, until Andrea finally spoke up. "How are you?"

"I'm good." Santana said with a nod of the head.

"So I take it you weren't in the hospital for something serious?"

"I had appendicitis." Santana dead-panned.

"Oh." Andrea mumbled, her eyes widening slightly. She pursed her lips and hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I'm glad you're alright now."

Santana shot her a tight-lipped smile but didn't say anything.

"Thank you for not telling on my husband, by the way. He could've seriously risked his jo-…"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Santana interrupted her, shifting in her seat.

Andrea sighed and looked at Santana for a moment. "Look, Santana, I understand that I'm not your favorite person in the world but I really want to work on gaining your trust back. I'm so sorry that I've hurt you but I'm not that same person anymore."

"I understand that you were only 16 years old when everything happened." Santana softened a little bit. "But your parents have probably spent years convincing you that their views and ideas are right so I find it kind of hard to believe that you've suddenly decided that you accept me after all."

Andrea was silent as she contemplated Santana's words. "I understand why you feel that way. Just remember that I no longer have to explain myself to my parents. I contacted you because I miss you and I'm sure that my parents will be upset when they find out but I really don't care."

"I'm not sure about this, Andrea." Santana admitted. "I don't want to cause drama in your family. I'm tired of having to deal with all that."

"I understand." Andrea replied knowingly. "But don't worry, I'll deal with them if it comes that far. Right now I just want to focus on getting to know you again. You've grown up a lot, Santana."

"So have you." Santana's lips quirked up into a small smile. "What happened to the shy, dorky girl that I used to know?"

"She had her braces removed and actually took a break from playing video games to leave the house and talk to people."

Santana's smile widened before she forced a serious expression back in place. She tilted her head in thought and finally gave in. "I'm willing to give you another chance but only if we take things slowly."

Andrea's face lit up and she nodded quickly. "I want that more than anything."

"So, tell me about yourself." Santana tried to get a conversation started.

"Well, I went to college and got my teaching degree like I always wanted." Andrea started to talk enthusiastically. "I met my husband, Paulo, through a friend in my second year and we immediately got along. We started dating and he asked me to marry him on our second year anniversary."

"He's on his way to become a doctor, correct?" Santana asked.

Andrea hummed her confirmation as she took a sip from her water. "Yes, a surgeon. Things have been great. We're really happy together."

"I'm glad to hear that." Santana said with a genuine smile. "Maybe I'll meet him one day."

"I'm sure you will." Andrea returned the smile. She quieted down when the waiter came by to bring them their food. Santana thanked him quietly as he set down a plate in front of her. Once he was gone, Andrea started talking again. "What's your girlfriend's name again? I never caught it."

Santana couldn't help the small smile that graced her features thinking of her girlfriend. "Brittany."

Andrea nodded and started on her pasta before catching her eye and giving her a look. "So, when are you and Brittany going to tie the knot?"

Santana sucked in a sharp breath in surprise and began coughing as some of her salad got caught in her throat. She reached out for her drink and quickly downed half of it. Andrea tried to suppress a chuckle as Santana regained her composure.

The older brunette glared at her. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Andrea said with a smirk.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Britt and I haven't even been together for a year yet."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Do you think she's the one?"

Santana didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes, I do."

"Are you sure?"

Santana's eyebrows pinched together in annoyance. "What kind of questions are these?"

"I was just wondering." Andrea shrugged.

Santana frowned slightly before stabbing through her salad and taking a bite. Covering her mouth with her hand, she asked, "What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Being married."

"It's different." Andrea answered after a moment of thought. "In a good way. I always expected that things would be the same but now I realize that's not the case at all. It's not just the matching rings that we wear but the feeling that comes with it. When I wake up and see him every morning I know I'm safe."

Santana smiled. "That sounds amazing."

They ate in silence for a while until Andrea spoke again, her eyes sparkling. "This is nice."

"What is?"

"This." Andrea gestured between the two of them. "Just being able to talk to you again."

Santana leaned back in her chair and released a breath before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, it is."

Brittany bounced her right leg up and down as she sat in Dr. Hill's office. She fidgeted nervously. It had been a few days since she and Santana had come back from their trip and she was no longer able to avoid reality. She knew that she had to try her best to open up to Dr. Hill. She couldn't keep it bottled up anymore. It was a lot harder than it seemed though.

"So, Brittany, how are you today?"

"I'm okay."

"I haven't seen you in a while."

"I know." Brittany mumbled. Her voice was barely audible but Dr. Hill still heard her.

"What made you decide to come back?"

Brittany let out a sigh and finally looked up at him. He could see that she was tired. There were bags under her eyes that seemed dull and even more sad in comparison to how he remembered them.

A long moment of silence passed before Brittany replied, her voice soft and timid. "I realized that I'll never get better if I give up. I… I have to start being more open with you."

Dr. Hill shot her a warm smile. "Where would you like to start?"

"I don't know." Brittany shrugged, playing with her fingers.

"You haven't been sleeping." It wasn't a question but a statement.

Brittany bit her lip. "I haven't."

"Will you tell me about your nightmares?"

Brittany hesitated for a moment before nodding in defeat. "They always start the same." She took a deep breath and looked up, meeting Dr. Hill's kind eyes. "I-I'm running and there are… flames. She's always there."

"Jess?" The therapist questioned.

Brittany stiffened in her chair, her stomach dropping. She took a moment to compose herself before answering. "Yes." She whispered. "She's always doing something different."

"Like what?" Dr. Hill urged her gently.

"Sometimes she's... trapped inside the plane and I-I can't get to her." Brittany released a shaky breath and blinked hard, her hand frantically rubbing her arm. "Other times she's attacking me and telling me how… how everything is my fault."

"Everything?"

Brittany nodded slowly. "My scars, her… her death. It was because of me that we were even on the plane in the first place." She sniffled and furiously wiped at her face. She hadn't even realized that she was crying until then. Dr. Hill handed her a box of tissues that Brittany gratefully accepted. The therapist didn't say anything. He just waited patiently until Brittany spoke again. "Lately they've been getting worse. They always involve Santana and that terrifies me more than anything."

"What is Santana doing in them?"

"Nothing."

"Brittany, you told me that you wanted to talk about this." Dr. Hill sighed. "You haven't been here in weeks but you came back because you wanted to start opening up. I can't help you if things are going to be the same as they were before. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind hearing about how happy you are with your girlfriend, how you're enjoying your job, but it's not going to get us anywhere. If you don't n-…"

"Santana's dying!" Brittany said, hot, angry tears spilling from her eyes. "Santana's dying in them and I can't do anything to stop it! I have to helplessly watch how she burns to death right in front of me because my legs refuse to move!" She paused and clenched her jaw, exhaling sharply through her nose. "She's screaming out for me but by the time I'm finally able to move again, it's already too late. I keep seeing the plane crash, I keep hearing the screams and it's exhausting. I want it to stop."

Dr. Hill gave Brittany a moment to calm down, scribbling something down on his notepad. "Can you tell me about that day?"

"What?" Brittany stammered. "Why?"

"Because it's been almost 3 years, Brittany, and you're still having nightmares. You're with Santana every day, you see that she's well and breathing, yet in your nightmares she's dying in front of your eyes. We need to find out why that is."

Brittany's throat constricted tightly. She could feel her stomach churning. She had watched Santana being taken away from her night after night and each time had cut deeper than the last. Flashbacks of Santana's body being engulfed by flames crossed her mind and she could feel her body go cold.

"Brittany?" Dr. Hill asked quietly. "Are you alright? Do you want us to stop?"

The blonde hesitantly looked up. "'Is that okay? I do really want to get better."

Dr. Hill smiled sympathetically. "How about we continue this next week? We've made some progress so that's good. At least you're talking about it now."

Brittany wiped away a few tears before nodding once.

After setting up another appointment for next week with the receptionist, Brittany left the building and stepped outside where Santana was already waiting for her. Brittany quickly walked up to her and smiled when Santana opened her arms, enveloping her in a warm hug. Brittany buried her face in the brunette's neck and sighed contentedly. "Hi babe."

"How was it?" Santana asked as she pulled back slightly to meet Brittany's eyes.

Brittany pursed her lips and nodded slowly. "Alright, I guess."

"That's good." Santana smiled softly, squeezing her waist in assurance. "Don't worry, things can only get better from here."

Brittany returned the smile and slowly ran her hand up and down Santana's arm. "How were things with Andrea?"

"Weird." Santana shrugged. She released Brittany from her arms and turned around to open the car door for her girlfriend, getting an appreciative smile. Once they were both seated, Santana turned to Brittany who was staring at her in anticipation, still waiting for her to elaborate. She sighed. "It was nice but… weird."

"Weird how?"

"I guess it's all… confusing?" Santana looked at her questioningly, not quite finding the right words to express her feelings, searching for a sign of understanding.

Brittany reached out to take Santana's hand in her own, squeezing gently. "Because it hurts?"

"Yeah." Santana admitted shyly, looking down at their joined hands. "It's nice to talk to her again but it just doesn't feel the same." She released a heavy sigh, playing with Brittany's fingers distractedly. "When I look at her, I'm reminded of my parents and I… I don't like it."

"I understand, honey." Brittany murmured sympathetically. She looked at the side of Santana's face for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. "Maybe you just need to give it some time. It's understandable that being around Andrea brings back a lot of memories."

Santana nodded and looked up, her eyes showing a vulnerability that only Brittany ever saw. "You're probably right. That's why we decided to take things slow."

Brittany smiled and leaned in to press a light kiss to Santana's lips. Pulling away, she whispered, "I'm proud of you."

Santana curled her hand around the back of Brittany's neck, tangling her fingers into her hair, and connected their lips again, deepening the kiss, making Brittany slip out a little moan. Santana smirked and nibbled on Brittany's lower lip before releasing it and pulling back to study the blonde's face. She stroked her thumb over Brittany's cheek and waited until bright blue eyes fluttered open. "You're so beautiful, Britt."

Brittany blushed furiously and tried to steal another kiss but Santana teasingly pulled away, chuckling in adoration when Brittany's lips chased after hers, pouting cutely in disappointment. Santana brushed her thumb lightly over Brittany's bottom lip before she gave in a pressed a sweet kiss to Brittany's mouth, causing her girlfriend to sigh happily, melting Santana's heart.

They kissed for a few moments before Santana reluctantly broke the contact. "We should get you to work."

"Yeah." Brittany murmured unhappily, settling back into her seat.

"You're already wearing your uniform, right?"

Brittany hummed her confirmation as Santana started the engine of her car. She pulled out of the parking space and started to head in the direction of the diner. Brittany softly sang along to the radio for a minute before stopping and asking, "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I'm doing research for this article that I'm working on so I'm going to make some phone calls." The brunette replied, drumming her thumbs against the steering wheel. "Do you want me to pick you up after your shift?"

"It's only a five minute walk home, San." Brittany said with a soft smile. "But thank you."

Santana just shrugged and continued driving.

A few minutes later, they came to a stop in front of Joey's and Brittany unbuckled her seatbelt. She leaned in to peck Santana on the cheek before opening her door. Looking over her shoulder, she shot her girlfriend a warm smile. "Thanks for the ride. You don't have to stay up tonight."

"Have a nice day at work, baby." Santana told her sweetly.

Brittany's smile widened as she got out of the car and closed the door. Santana waited until Brittany was safely inside the diner before pulling out of the parking space and driving home.

Brittany greeted her co-workers as she walked inside and headed towards the back room. She put her stuff away and quickly tied an apron around her waist.

The sound of the door opening and closing behind her startled her out of her thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Marley who entered the room. "Hey."

"Hey." Marley echoed quietly.

Brittany's smile faltered when she noticed how upset Marley looked. "Are you okay, Mar?"

"I don't know." Marley shrugged as she slowly put down her bag.

"What happened?" Brittany asked worriedly, walking up to her friend and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Marley looked exhausted. Her eyes were red-rimmed, an indication that she had been crying. "Did you have another fight with Zach?"

Marley blinked rapidly to clear away the fresh tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't know what to do anymore, Britt."

"Oh honey." Brittany whispered, pulling the brunette into a tight hug. Marley melted into the warm embrace and pressed her face against Brittany's shoulder, sniffling miserably. Brittany hated Zach for causing Marley this much pain. She didn't deserve it. Brittany waited until Marley had calmed down a bit before speaking again. "Things can't go on like this. You've been so unhappy lately."

"I know." Marley replied, pulling back slightly. "But we've been together for so long. Walking away now would make me feel like I failed, you know?"

"You haven't failed." Brittany soothed her. "You tried your hardest but it didn't work out. Sometimes letting go is the best thing to do." Marley bit her lip as she contemplated Brittany's words, reaching up the wipe away her tears. Brittany gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Why were you fighting this time?"

Marley sighed. "Zach was taking a nap and I accidently woke him up by dropping a plate."

"That's it?" Brittany frowned. Marley simply nodded and looked down at her feet. Brittany studied her friend's features carefully, tilting her head in thought. "Marley, I have to ask you something and I need you to tell me the truth."

"Okay." Marley replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Brittany hesitated for a moment and decided to just go for it. "Has Zach ever hit you?"

To her relief, Marley shook her head. "No, he would never."

"Are you sure of that?"

"Yes. He would never physically hurt me." Marley spoke confidently. Brittany opened her mouth to say something but Marley continued. "Don't worry, Britt. One of us always take a breather when we're fighting and things usually go back to normal afterwards."

Brittany's eyebrows pinched together in disapproval. "That's not healthy. You shouldn't have to take breathers from each other."

"It works." Marley shrugged.

Brittany sighed. "One day that's not going to be enough, Marley. What happens then?"

"I don't know."

"So what, you just walked away in the middle of your fight just now?" Brittany asked, getting a little frustrated. She didn't know how to get through to Marley anymore. "Are you just going to pretend that it never happened when you get home? How is that okay?"

"Stop asking me so many questions." Marley grumbled.

Brittany narrowed her eyes. "I'm just worried about you. Can you blame me?"

Marley's features softened and she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm sorry. I know that you're just trying to help but I can handle it. Just trust me, okay?"

"Fine." Brittany agreed reluctantly.

Marley shot her a grateful smile and turned to her bag to grab some stuff. Brittany crossed her arms over her chest and watched her silently, a look of disapproval still on her face. She understood that it was hard for Marley to let go of something that she'd been holding onto for so long but in this case it seemed like the best thing to do. Brittany shook her head at the situation and waited until her friend was ready before they both made their way to the front to get to work.

A few hours later, Santana stirred slightly when she felt a warm body settle in bed behind her. She slowly blinked her eyes open before groaning and immediately closing them again. Brittany tightened her arms around the smaller girl's waist and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "It's just me. Go back to sleep, babe."

"Hmm." Santana hummed sleepily, cuddling back into Brittany's embrace. "How was work?"

"It was fine." Brittany whispered back, slipping her hand under Santana's shirt and drawing soothing circles on her abdomen. "I love you."

Santana reached up to run her fingers through Brittany's hair that was still damp from her shower and tilted her head back to give the blonde a chaste kiss. "I love you too." She whispered against her lips before dropping her arm back to her side and shifting to get comfortable in Brittany's arms. "So much."

Brittany sighed happily and closed her eyes. She kissed the back of Santana's neck. "Did everything go okay with your research?"

Santana hummed in reply and turned around in Brittany's arms, placing her hand on Brittany's cheek and lightly caressing the soft skin. Brittany smiled a bit and closed her eyes, leaning into Santana's touch. Santana softly kissed the area between Brittany's eyes where a small crease had found its way onto her skin. "Is there something on your mind?"

"It's nothing." Brittany murmured, opening her eyes.

Santana moved her hand up Brittany's cheek and to her hair, gently tucking a few strands behind her ear. "Tell me."

"I'm just a little worried about Marley." Brittany finally admitted in a soft voice. "She showed up at work crying because she had another fight with Zach."

"Why doesn't she just break up with that asshole already?" Santana questioned, pulling a face.

Brittany pulled the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth. "I guess she's scared."

"Scared of what?"

"I don't know… of being alone?" Brittany said with a shrug of her shoulders. "They've been together for a long time. She told me that leaving him would make her feel like she failed." Brittany paused and released a sigh, her thumb rubbing small circles over Santana's hipbone. "I don't get it, San. He makes her feel miserable."

"She will realize what's best for her eventually." Santana assured her girlfriend, placing a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose, causing a small smile to form on her lips. "Don't worry about it too much. It's not your problem to fix."

Brittany nodded slowly, gazing deeply into brown eyes. "So what about you?"

"What about me?" Santana asked, confused.

"I can tell that there's something on your mind as well." Brittany explained, her eyes trying to read Santana's.

Santana looked away. "I'm fine, Britt."

"Please don't do this again."

The pleading tone of Brittany's voice caused Santana's eyes to snap up to blue ones again. "What am I doing?"

"Not talking to me."

Santana frowned. The fear in Brittany's eyes made her realize how hard it must've been for her girlfriend when she had repeatedly pushed her away in the past. "I'm not shutting you out. I will never do that to you again. I promise."

"Then what is it?" Brittany asked softly.

"The whole situation with Andrea is still bothering me a little." Santana explained. "I guess I just need some time to process everything."

Brittany nodded in understanding. "I'm here for you when you need me."

"I know." Santana whispered before capturing the other girl's lips in a chaste kiss. "Let's go to sleep, Britt. You look tired."

Brittany nodded again and waited until Santana had turned around before spooning up behind her and wrapping her arms around her waist. Santana covered Brittany's hand with her own and laced their fingers together. She heard Brittany's breathing even out not long after and realized that her exhausted girlfriend had fallen asleep. Brittany's long work hours still worried her. Ever since they had gotten back from their trip, the nights continued to be a struggle with Brittany's nightmares. She hoped that the therapy sessions would help with Brittany's anxiety but she still wished that Brittany would quit her job at Joey's.

Santana sighed and tried to go to sleep too. That proved to be harder than expected though. She just couldn't seem to switch her mind off. Like she had told Brittany, she couldn't stop thinking about the whole situation with Andrea. Part of her was happy to be talking to her cousin again, but part of her was also terrified. They had both changed so much. She sighed again and carefully untangled herself from Brittany's arms before climbing out of bed, not wanting to wake her girlfriend with her tossing and turning.

When Brittany woke up a little while later, she was confused to find herself in bed by herself. Brittany blearily cracked her eyes open and quickly scanned the room in search of Santana. She saw that the bathroom light wasn't on and concern flooded her body, not knowing where else Santana could be in the middle of the night. Brittany quickly threw the covers off herself and slipped out of bed.

"San?" She called out softly as she entered the living room, slowing down to a stop when she saw her girlfriend. The window was open and Santana was sitting on the ledge, smoking a cigarette. Brittany watched her momentarily, a sad expression twitching her features, before walking up to her. "Babe, what are you doing out of bed?"

"I couldn't sleep." Santana mumbled, not looking up.

Brittany pursed her lips and carefully took a seat next to her, keeping some space between them. Her eyes flickered to the cigarette between Santana's fingers and up to brown orbs that looked distant and sad. "I hate it when you smoke."

"I'm sorry."

Brittany's clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "It's okay."

A silence fell over them but it wasn't a comfortable one like usual. It was an uncomfortable one and Brittany hated it. She tried to think of the right words to say but it seemed like Santana wanted some space right now so she decided to stay silent.

Finally, Santana spoke up. "You should go back to bed."

"Not without you." Brittany protested.

Santana sighed and put out her cigarette before tossing it out the window. "Please Brittany."

"No, San. You promised." Brittany replied with a shake of her head. She reached out and grabbed Santana's hand, holding on tightly when Santana attempted to pull away. "You promised that you wouldn't shut me out just a few hours ago so don't break that promise now. Talk to me. What's keeping you up?"

"My parents." Santana breathed out, averting her gaze away. She felt Brittany's hand tighten around hers, silently letting her know that she was listening, and she couldn't help but smile a bit. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, staring out the window. "It was horrible, Britt."

"What was, sweetie?"

"Everything." Santana whispered. "I still remember the day I told them that I was gay so clearly. God Britt, my father was so angry with me while my mother just stared at me." She let out a shaky breath and clenched her jaw. "I was so scared."

Brittany rubbed soothing circles on the back of Santana's hand with her thumb. "What did they say?"

"My father told me that I couldn't be his daughter if I was gay. Then he…" Santana paused to swallow the lump in her throat. "Then he slapped me and told me to go to my room."

Brittany inhaled sharply. "San…"

"It's okay, Britt. It's in the past."

"It's not okay." Brittany told her quietly, moving closer to her. "What your father did is awful."

Santana smiled a humorless smile. "I know."

"Didn't your mother do anything?" Brittany asked.

Santana shook her head. "I tried to talk to her about it a few days later but that didn't work out very well."

"Mami please!" Santana begged desperately as she followed her mother into the kitchen. "I'm still the same person I was before."

Maribel gathered some ingredients and grabbed a knife, her expression hard. "I don't want to talk about this anymore, Santana. You heard what your father said. Just drop it."

"I can't just drop it." Santana protested in frustration, gesturing wildly with her hands. "This is who I am. I've spent so much time pretending to be someone I'm not and I can't do it anymore. I'm just too tired. I know that it'll take some time to get used to but-…"

"Stop it." Her mother interrupted her angrily. "Some things are meant to be kept a secret."

"What?" Santana whispered.

"I don't want you to talk about this to anyone, Santana." Maribel spoke sternly, furiously cutting up some vegetables. "If anyone hears about this, you'll be associated with this sinful behavior for the rest of your life just because you got confused as a teenager. Is that what you want?"

"Confused?" Santana repeated shakily, her voice cracking.

"You've been led astray, Santana." Maribel muttered, her hands shaking. "You've been led off the path of righteousness but you can still be saved. We can help you find your way back to God. Prayer and hope is what you need right now."

"You're crazy." The words tumbled from Santana's lips before she could stop them.

Maribel whipped around to face her and narrowed her eyes.

"Don't speak to me like that." She said in a low voice, tightening the hold on the knife in her hand. Santana gulped. She didn't think that her mother would actually hurt but she still took a step backwards. "Now go to your room and don't show your face until dinner is ready."

Santana could no longer hold back her tears. "I can't believe you're being so cruel."

"Stop being so selfish!" Maribel yelled suddenly, startling Santana and making her flinch. They stared at each other for what felt like hours before Maribel pointed her finger in the direction of the door, her whole body trembling with rage. "I'm serious, Santana. Leave my sight right now! Don't ever bring up this conversation again."

Santana choked back a sob as she did as she had been told, tears streaming freely down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Santana." Brittany whispered, quickly reaching up to wipe away the tears that had escaped her eyes while listening to her girlfriend. "It makes me so angry that she said those things to you."

"You know, when my father stopped by the apartment on the day I had to go to the hospital, he told me that my mom thinks that there's still hope for me." Santana looked down at her lap as she tried to fight back her own tears. Her throat constricted tightly and she struggled to get her next words out. "I bet she still prays for me every night."

"I don't know what to say." Brittany said softly, feeling useless and helpless.

Santana placed her hand on her chest and let out a broken sob. "I-It hurts here, Britt."

Brittany felt her heart break into a million pieces. She gathered Santana in her arms as the first tears broke free and rolled down tan cheeks. Santana collapsed against Brittany's chest and Brittany brought one of her hands to Santana's head, stroking her fingers through her dark locks soothingly. Brittany wanted nothing more than to take Santana's hurt away forever but she simply didn't know how to.

"Shh, baby." Brittany pressed her lips to Santana's temple, closing her eyes and listening as Santana's breathing got more and more uncontrolled. "Just breathe. In and out." She instructed gently, feeling Santana's chest heave rapidly against her own. Now she finally understood what it felt like to be in this position and her heart ached terribly. Santana's breathing pattern slowly started to match hers and she rubbed her hand across the brunette's shoulder blades encouragingly. "That's it, San. You're okay."

"I-I'm sorry." Santana whispered brokenly, clinging onto Brittany's shirt.

"Don't apologize for anything." Brittany told her, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "I love you and I'd hold you for weeks if I had to. I don't ever want you to be hurting by yourself when I can be right there with you."

Santana sniffled and tucked her head under Brittany's chin, her arms draped around her waist. "Can we just stay like this for a while?"

"Of course, baby." Brittany said sweetly, her fingers still running the same soothing pattern through her girlfriend's hair. "For as long as you want to."

Santana closed her eyes and snuggled further into Brittany's chest. Brittany carefully scooted them backwards so that she was leaning against the wall, her hold on Santana never faltering. She rested her chin on top of Santana's head and started to hum softly, trying to get Santana to relax. It seemed to be working because Santana practically melted into her arms and finally, her body went completely limp.

Brittany slightly pulled back and smiled softly when she saw that Santana had fallen asleep. Careful not to wake her girlfriend, she slipped one arm under the brunette's knees and the other one around her back. She lifted her up, cradling her safely to her chest, and carried her into the bedroom, putting her down on the bed. Brittany pulled the covers of Santana's body and tucked her in before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

After closing the window in the living room, Brittany returned to the bedroom and crawled into bed behind Santana. She wrapped her arms around Santana's waist protectively and held her closely as she slowly drifted off the sleep as well.