Chapter 38

Nearly turning back and going home three times Santana was within a block of her destination when she mentally embraced her fate. Lunch was going to happen and so was the inevitable game play. Finding the restaurant she walked through the front door as if she owned the place because confidence would be a key component to keep from looking weak. Secretly she was on edge but she would be damned if she was going to let that show.

Perfectly put together and looking just as confident was Kurt Hummel in his starving artist 'designer' duds. How he always managed to look like he did while bouncing from one job to the next Santana would never know but she would always be impressed with his eye for fashion. However, as impressed as she was, Santana was equally suspect.

It had been months since they had spent any time together and so she knew damn well what the call out of the blue was about. Still feeling admittingly vulnerable from her assistant's observation the other evening, she had said yes to Kurt's invitation to lunch if only to try and rattle his cage as much as she expected him to try and do to her. She considered it a great way to hone her professional craft. Working in PR required one to be savvy, and for Santana the same was required of a meal with Kurt Hummel if for no other reason then he knew far too much about her life.

"You actually showed. I'm impressed Santana." Kurt said as he air kissed her.

Returning the gesture Santana pulled back and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I wasn't going to say no to this invitation."

"And why is that?" Kurt said as he ignored her look and pulled her chair out for her.

Santana took a seat in the chair and waited until Kurt was settled next to her at the table. "Because as soon as you called I knew Quinn wasn't the only one who knew Brittany was in New York."

…

Quinn wasn't really in the mood to add to her clothing collection but she didn't have much choice since she was running out of the clothes she had snuck out of Santana's. Tagging along with Brittany and Samantha for a girl's day of shopping and pampering Quinn knew at the very least she wouldn't be as bored as she would be if she went alone. It was a Saturday, so the stores up and down Fifth Avenue were packed with tourists. Wanting to avoid the masses the group had gone downtown to some boutiques Samantha knew of.

The moment they arrived in the first store the sales staff swarmed around them making it clear Samantha was a store VIP. They had offered everything from personal shopping assistance to mimosas; which were politely declined. The staff disappeared immediately and Quinn was instantly certain that Samantha was as wealthy as she was nice.

"Okay, it's got to be one of these." Brittany said holding up three dresses from their hangers.

"Go try them on. We will be here if you need us." Quinn said smiling at her friend while indicating Samantha who was off looking at stuff on another rack.

Brittany headed towards the changing rooms as Quinn returned a shirt she was looking at and then wandered over to see if what Samantha was eyeing was more her style. The director was admiring a royal blue cocktail dress when Quinn walked up next to her. It was stunning and held up near Samantha it seemed even more so. "That would look fantastic on you."

"A little formal for next week's presentation though."

"True, but it's never a bad idea to have something like that in your closest."

Samantha laughed and placed the dress back on the rack. "Have you found anything you like?"

"They have some wonderful stuff. I'm looking for separates because until I'm sure where I'm going to land I have to air on the side of careful spending."

"How's that going?"

"My living situation?" Quinn asked rhetorically as she glanced at a cute spring dress. "I knew better then to think it would all blow over in a few days but I had hoped. I offered to start apartment hunting but Rachel won't let me. She's convinced Santana will come around."

"You've known each other a long time. I would find it hard to believe something like this would ruin things."

"You don't know Santana."

"I don't. That's true."

The director had responded politely making Quinn feel all the more stupid. "I'm sorry Samantha that was terrible of me."

"It's okay. Brittany gave me the basics and I get it. We all have a past." Samantha said picking up a blouse from one of the racks and then returning it after she looked at the price tag.

"Yeah, but that past just slammed into your present."

"We're taking things slow and talking every bit of the way. It's all okay. Brittany seems more worried about you in all this."

Quinn laughed gently. "Leave it to Brittany to be more worried for me."

"The other night I almost told her she should reach out and get in touch with Santana. Might help Brittany put a few things behind her and might even help you patch things up."

The second Samantha finished speaking Quinn knew her reaction to the news had given her away. Getting involved with anything having to do with Santana and Brittany was playing with fire and she feared that Samantha was blissfully ignorant of this knowledge and probably remain that way.

…

Kurt knew it was a foregone conclusion that he would be immediately outed as knowing the secret the second he called Santana but after a day to reflect on it he didn't care. "And even if I did know Brittany was here. Last time we really talked was when? October or so?"

"You know why that is Kurt." Santana pointedly remarked.

"Cause you didn't like what I had to say."

"Correct." she said picking up her menu. "But you still should have told me about Brittany."

"Why is that Santana? Cause we're such close friends?"

"Yes."

"The double standards abound." He stated sarcastically. "You stopped speaking to me cause you asked for advice and then didn't care for what I said so you stopped calling. Then you wanted me to call you gossiping about your ex arriving into the city?"

"Yes."

"Santana, you are exactly as you have always been."

"I find it makes life easier that way. People know what to expect from me."

"The same bogged down young woman I went to high school with?"

Santana's eyebrow went up and she placed her menu back on the table. "And here it comes, therapy by Kurt Hummel."

He looked at her smugly. "Which some might say is why you really said yes to today's invitation."

"Why is that Kurt?"

"Cause you need me to help you forgive Quinn so you can go back to some kind of stability in your life."

"You forget Kurt, you once told me, I hate stability which is why I make poor choices instead of following through on the things that would 'make me happy'." Santana said punctuating her words with air quotes.

"You might hate it Santana but it doesn't mean you don't yearn for it."

...

From Quinn's reaction Samantha realized it was best she hadn't said anything to Brittany the other evening at the apartment. "You don't think that's a good idea?"

"Honestly, Samantha? It might be or it might make things more complicated. There is a lot of history there."

Samantha nodded knowingly. "I can tell but I would rather her have a chance to deal with whatever is going on then find herself conflicted and then we end up stuck in some limbo."

"Stuck is never good." Quinn said with an air of reflection in her tone.

"Sounds like a voice of experience."

"More like an expert."

"So you can understand why I think facing it might help keep thing from becoming all consuming?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah but facing it could also change everything."

There was tone in the younger woman's voice that made Samantha think they were no longer talking about Brittany. Since meeting the lawyer, Samantha had noticed a kindred spirit and if her instincts were correct something meaningful was causing Quinn heartache, something that seemed bigger then the recent issues with her roommate. "Could be. But that change could be for the better."

"Now you sound like Rachel and her optimistic view of the world." Quinn laughed softly as she returned a blouse she had been holding to one of the racks.

"Theatre folks are weird that way." Samantha noted trying to lighten the mood.

"Must be nice to have such faith in the universe."

A flash of a theory crossed Samantha's mind. She watched Quinn closely as she responded. "It keeps a person open to life's possibilities."

"How do I look?" Brittany said interrupting as she came bounding out of the changing room wearing a flowing spring print dress that was not yet in season but still perfectly professional.

Samantha admired the beauty before her. "That is gorgeous on you."

"I knew the second I saw it on me. This is the one for sure."

Quinn beamed at her friend. "It looks lovely on you Brittany."

"Let me get changed and I'll help you guys find things." the bubbly blonde said and then skipped back into change room.

Thoughtfully Samantha turned to Quinn. She didn't want to rattle the attorney regarding whatever else the younger woman was dealing with so she turned the conversation back on to what Brittany was going through and hoped it would be of some help. If she was on the right track Samantha suspected it might. "The big decisions in life should be as certain as she just was about that dress and I want her to have every opportunity to be that certain about us. If that means she needs to see Santana then I'll risk it because unlike that dress certain things in life you can't take back and I know it would crush Brittany to have too."

...

Chocking out the words Santana stared at Kurt. "Me? Yearning for Stability? That is priceless." He had her number and Santana hated that fact. It was so much easier to keep friends, and most of all lovers, casual but deep down Santana knew she wanted something more.

"But true." Kurt said twisting the knife. "So… moving on. You can sit here with me knowing I knew too and still manage to be civil enough but somehow Quinn doesn't get a pass?"

Santana had let Kurt hit the exact nerve he wanted and the words just flowed. "We have been roommates for months and friends forever. She owed it to me to be the one to say something. Quinn was playing 'high school reunion' under my nose with people we both knew. It was selfish and shows where I rate in her life."

"Have you said this to her? Or did you just yell?"

"Christ Kurt, why are we even playing this game if you clearly already know what happened? Let me guess, she called and filled you in just like the last time?" Santana questioned, already tired of the path they were going down.

"I was told bits and pieces by various sources but no, Santana it was nothing like the last time. This is me, knowing you, and the way you work, when you feel pushed."

"Exactly. Quinn pushed me too far by being so secretive as to not trust me with the fact she was spending so much quality time with Berry and Brittany."

"You two are as close as they come and you've had much bigger things between you over the years. You can't let this tear it all apart. And just because you forgive someone Santana it doesn't make you weak. You just need to trust that people make mistakes and you need to trust that mended fences can be just as strong as they used to be."

"God, it's like having lunch with a fortune cookie."

"A very well dressed and wise fortune cookie." Kurt snarked, as he brushed something invisible off his jacket. He reached across the table and looked her square in the eyes. "A very wise fortune cookie that is fully versed in the back story Santana."

"I know Kurt and you are right. And if you make me regret making that last statement I will hunt you down and burn all your vintage designer clothing."

"You wouldn't dare." Kurt said getting his hand out of danger.

"Try me."

"I promise to only bask in my brilliance today while at this table. Now see, that wasn't hard? Was it?"

"I suppose not."

"So try something similar with Quinn. You owe it to yourself and your friendship. Now let's order something before I fade away and you can fill me in on what life is like at the Mayor's office while we wait."

...

After lunch Santana said good-bye to Kurt and promised to be better about staying in touch. He accepted her promise and threatened to find her at her local lesbian bar if she didn't keep it. They hugged on the street and then each headed in a different direction to go home. The weather was warm enough to warrant a walk and Santana needed time to let everything Kurt had said sink in. What better way then being swept up amongst the throngs of people crowding the New York City streets?

About half way home and having gone over everything in her head, more then once, Santana made a decision. Pulling her phone out she hit the short cut button and waited. After two rings the call went to voicemail, which meant Quinn had sent the call there. She knew the gesture from her friend was out of fear and not malice so she waited for the message to end and left one of her own. "Quinn, I'm not saying all is forgiven but I can understand why you did what you did. I think we should talk and that you should move back in. Call me when you get this."

...

When Quinn saw Santana's photo on her phone she froze and then sent the call to her voice mail. Finishing changing back into the clothes she arrived in, she picked up the things she decided on buying, and then headed to the cashier.

While waiting in line she checked the message. Surprised by Santana's tone, Quinn knew someone had gotten to her to calm things, there was no way this was a simple change of heart. From what Samantha had said it didn't sound like it was Brittany, and since today was Saturday and Rachel had two shows odds were it wasn't her. No, this change of mind could only be attributed to one person of that Quinn was certain. Kurt was getting a phone call later.

"Someone important?" Brittany asked as Quinn put her phone away.

There was no point hiding things. "It was Santana she wants to talk."

"I knew she would come around." Brittany said resting a hand on Quinn's shoulder.

The gesture had been sweet and Quinn reached up and patted Brittany's hand with one of hers. "She did more then that she wants us to talk but she also wants me to go back to living at the apartment."

Brittany crushed Quinn into a big hug. "That's amazing."

"I suppose it is."

"Well you finish getting your stuff and then I think the three of us should go out and have a celebration lunch."

"Lunch sounds good."

"Then I will meet you outside."

Quinn watched Brittany give Samantha, who was on her phone by one of the clothing racks, a little wave. Then after glancing back again at Quinn and waving to her as well, Quinn's old friend skipped out of the store to wait for both of them. Standing there in line waiting to pay for what she had decided on Quinn was left with an overwhelming sense of relief and a tiny bit of fear.

…

As soon as Brittany heard Quinn's news the decision was made for her. Pulling out her cell phone she went into her contacts and made a call.

…

Santana was trying to dig out some cash to pay for coffee when her phone went off. Removing it she immediately saw a number she hadn't seen in years. Taking a single deep breath she answered it without letting on she knew who it was. "Hello?"

"Santana?" a happy, but shy and familiar voice said.

"Yes."

"Um, it's Brittany."

Santana tried to act surprised but it came out sounding rehearsed. "Oh, hi. How are you?"

"I'm good. Look, I was wondering what you might be doing tomorrow."

The urge to make up any excuse was powerful but Santana fought it. "Well, I don't think I have anything planned. Why?"

"I was hoping maybe we could grab lunch, or dinner, or something. It's been such a long time and it would be really nice to catch up."

Thankfully her day was open but Santana tried not to sound to eager. "Tomorrow should work."

"Great. I'll call you when I get up and we can see what works best?"

"Sounds good."

"Okay then we'll talk tomorrow. Bye."

"Um, bye." And just like that the call was over and Santana's heart was pounding in her chest. What in the hell had she been thinking saying yes?

Author's Notes: Since I suspected that many of my slash fic readers were on the bummed side after tonight's finale I thought a quicker update was in order. So instead of saving until Friday to post… here you go. It's hardly as funny or epic as the new Quinn cannon of – "I'm flattered Santana, but I'm really "not that" into that." but I hope you enjoy the further forward momentum of a future verse that ironically saw some ground work for in tonight's show.