A/N - Anytime Santana's alone the song I imagine playing in the background is 6 Inch by Beyoncé ft. The Weeknd so give that a listen if you want to get into the mood for a heist. I also have a playlist on spotify that started off as music I write to that's now basically a soundtrack for this fic.
Anyway, grab a snack kiddos! This is gonna be a long one.
It's the first Monday of May and the sun is just barely peeking up over the horizon when Brittany slips back into the loft after a morning run and a quick stop at the corner café. Everyone's still sound asleep aside from Emma who is preparing to spend the day with Rachel Berry. She's nothing but nerves as she packs her things and she's so focused on her task that she doesn't even notice Brittany approach her.
"Morning," Brittany greets.
Despite Brittany's softness, Emma jumps at the unexpected sound.
"Sorry," Brittany smiles apologetically, "I didn't mean to scare you."
Emma laughs nervously and goes back to packing, "That's alright. Just got caught up in my thoughts, I suppose. You're up early, didn't think I'd see anyone before I left."
"Running helps me focus," Brittany shrugs before extending her hand. She has been holding two takeaway cups and offers one of them to Emma, "Here. I got this for you."
"Oh, that's very thoughtful but I don't drink coffee," Emma declines politely, "It gives me the jitters."
Brittany smiles, "It's tea. Lemongrass and ginger, I saw you drinking some the other day."
Emma's shoulders ease and she gives Brittany a genuine smile as she accepts the drink, "That's perfect, thank you."
"It's cool," Brittany returns the smile, "I figured you could use it. It's going to be a big day."
"So…I see you and Santana have fixed things," Emma comments as she takes a sip of her tea, "Or rather, I hear you and Santana have fixed things."
Brittany blushes, "Yeah, we have."
Emma smiles proudly, "I'm glad. I didn't really care for how dicey it was getting there for a second."
"Neither," Brittany nods, "We're working on it though. Sorry if we made things awkward."
"Don't worry about it. Just happy you two are figuring it out," Emma winks before letting out a sigh, "Well, I should get going. Rachel has a pretty rigorous morning routine and she insists that I am there for it all."
"Of course," Brittany chuckles, "I'll see you later then. Good luck!"
Emma bows her head before wheeling away her belongings.
\\
When Brittany pokes her head into her room, she's pleased to see Santana's still sound asleep. The brunette has gravitated towards Brittany's side of the bed and she hugs Brittany's pillow to her chest. It makes Brittany smile as she tiptoes in, closing the door gently behind her, and settles on the edge of the bed.
When it dips, Santana let's out a hum and stretches a hand for Brittany. The blonde takes it and places a gentle kiss atop it once she sinks down a little lower. She manages to pull her pillow away from Santana's hold with one hand – the other is still holding onto a takeaway cup – and let's the sleepy con artist cuddle into her side instead.
"Mornin' San," Brittany whispers as she caresses Santana's bare shoulder. Her fingers trail down between Santana's shoulder blades, tracing the smooth skin there.
Santana lets out a mumble and snuggles in closer.
"You gonna wake up?" Brittany whispers again, coaxing Santana from her slumber. She can tell by the subtle movements and sleepy sounds that Santana's starting to awaken.
"Do I have to?" Santana asks groggily.
Brittany chuckles lightly at the question. This version of Santana is probably one of her favorites – all soft and sleepy, with her voice doing that sexy raspy thing. God, she's so in love with this woman. If it wasn't Game Day for them, Brittany would totally strip down and lie in bed with her all day.
"Yeah, you have to," Brittany says and trails her fingers up over Santana's hipbone, "Come on, I brought you a coffee. Don't want it to get cold, do you?"
"You brought me coffee?" Santana asks and she sounds a little more awake now. She rolls a little and looks up at Brittany for the first time that morning.
Brittany can't help but give her a goofy grin. To think they almost didn't make it, look at them now. It's almost like those past few days didn't even happen. It obviously did because they're more aware now, but they have so easily fallen right back into their rhythm as if no time had passed.
"I did," Brittany answers and holds the cup in front of her.
Santana lights up even more and slowly pushes to sit up so that she can take the cup in her hands. She can already smell the roasted goodness and hums at the scent.
"You're the best," Santana says before taking a sip. Once she finishes, she leans in to kiss Brittany's soft lips, "Thank you."
"Big day today, thought we'd start it off right," Brittany replies coolly.
Santana just smiles as she settles into Brittany's side and sips her coffee slow. She has missed starting off her mornings like this and she's so happy that she gets to do it all over again tomorrow. She never considered herself a morning person, but with Brittany? She might just change her mind.
A few minutes go by of them just sitting comfortably in each other's silence when Brittany speaks up again.
"You ready for today?" She asks.
Santana smirks and downs the rest of her coffee, "I was born ready. What about you?"
"Totally," Brittany mirrors her with a cocky grin, "We'll be just fine."
\\
Noon;
"We are not fine!" Brittany says as she briskly crosses the common area to where Santana and Quinn are standing. There's an edge to her voice and it instantly raises a couple red flags for Santana.
"What?" Quinn questions, "What's wrong?"
"Look," Brittany holds out her phone and swipes to play a video she received from Emma minutes ago.
Santana and Quinn lean in and watch as a guard uses some type of key to unlock the Toussaint's clasp. When the video finishes, the three of them exchange looks of surprise: they had no idea the necklace needed a key.
"Mercedes," Santana calls out as she walks towards the hacker, "Can you bring this video up on your computer? We're going to need a better look at this thing."
The four of them watch as Mercedes plays the video over and over again trying to figure out how they can fix this in time. The more time that passes without finding a solution, the more frustrated Santana becomes.
"Fuck," Santana mutters as she begins to pace, "A fucking key? Who does that? Who unlocks a necklace with a damn key? It's ridiculous."
"Must be a thing when the necklace is worth millions," Quinn replies. She's still studying the video along with Mercedes while Brittany tries to get Santana to quit pacing.
"You're making me nervous," Brittany chastises Santana lightly. She takes a hold of Santana's shoulders and runs her palms down the woman's arms, "Relax. We're professionals, we can come up with something."
"I've got it!" Mercedes blurts out suddenly. Santana and Brittany rush to her sides as she begins to explain, "I've got a friend that messes with this kind of stuff. I can give her a call and see what she can do?"
Santana relaxes, "Make the call."
\\
Within ten minutes, Mercedes manages to enlist a friend who can confidently replicate the mechanism and have it finished within an hour. Santana's so damn happy she nearly hugs the woman with all her strength.
"Okay great," Santana nods, "That gives Tina just enough time to make her adjustments. Thank you, Mercedes."
Mercedes just lifts her shoulder casually, "That's nothin'. Someone will need to meet up with her though."
"I can do it," Brittany answers, "I have to pick up the catering van anyway."
"And the food truck?" Santana questions.
Brittany shakes her head, "That one's already organized. They're going to park it so Mercedes and I will be set for later."
Santana lets out a sigh of relief. She didn't need this kind of scare so early in the day, but maybe now that it's out of the way it'll be smooth sailing from here.
\\
Brittany's out in the garage preparing to head off when Santana enters. She's hugging her arms to her chest in that special way that let's Brittany know she's nervous about something.
"What are you doing out here?" Brittany asks. She's straddling her bike and has got her helmet in her hands, "I thought you and Quinn were working on something?"
"She'll be fine without me for a few minutes," Santana shrugs as she closes the distance, "I just wanted to speak with you, just us."
Brittany smirks and looks around the room, "You know, we don't always have to talk in the garage. There are other places too."
Santana relaxes a little at the joke, "Yeah, I know. You're just always out here when I want you."
Brittany softens and watches how Santana lingers just a few feet away.
"Come over here," Brittany nods until Santana's close enough to pull in, "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing crazy," Santana replies as she wraps her arms around Brittany's shoulders. The leather of Brittany's jacket is cool against Santana's skin, "I wanted to say good luck. I've been trying to think of something that's more profound than that, but I'm not really getting anywhere."
"I'm just going to pick something up," Brittany chuckles, "I'll be back."
"I'm meaning for tonight," Santana explains with a timid smile, "By the time you get back, we'll be starting and I might not have the chance to say it. You know, with it just being us, and I wanted to have a moment before everything happens."
Brittany swoons and her cheeks feel hot all of a sudden. This is Santana trying to open herself up to Brittany, to put her heart out there even if it's only something small. It makes Brittany's heart feel so full to see Santana already putting in the effort she always knew the brunette was capable of.
"I love you," Brittany sighs because she can't really think of any other words she wants to say right now, "Like so much."
It's Santana's turn to swoon, but she doesn't say anything. Instead she leans in for a kiss. It's slow and she can feel Brittany's tongue running against her bottom lip while her arm wraps around Santana's waist as they press even closer together.
It starts to heat up even more, but thankfully Brittany's helmet acts as a barrier between them before they could get entirely distracted. When they finally pull away, Santana's lips are swollen and Brittany's got a dazed look in her eye.
Santana takes in a breath and pats Brittany's thigh, "Good luck, Britt."
"Short and sweet," Brittany smirks, "Just like you."
"Hey," Santana fakes a glare.
"It was a compliment," Brittany teases.
"Right," Santana says with her eyes narrowed, "Well good luck. I love you."
Brittany only winks as she slips into her helmet, "Thanks, but you don't need luck when you're this good."
Santana shakes her head although she can't help but smile at how suave Brittany can be.
"You be careful on that thing," Santana warns as Brittany starts up the motorcycle.
"You got it, babe!" Brittany calls out before slapping down her visor and riding off.
Santana just watches until she's out of view, never growing weary of how hot Brittany looks in that leather jacket. It's just what she needs to get her through the next hour.
\\
Mid-afternoon;
The crew – consisting of everyone minus Emma – is dressed in blank pants and tops with black beanies snug on most of their heads.
"Why are we all dressed like cat burglars?" Tina points out as she lugs a heavy case across the garage to store in the catering van Brittany returned with.
Sugar sits atop one of the cases and inspects her nails, "For the aesthetic, obviously. Everyone looks good in black."
Tina just rolls her eyes as she fails to lift the case she's pulling into the van, "Are you going to help or would you rather watch me struggle?"
Sugar quirks a brow and smiles mischievously, "You really want me to answer that?"
Santana walks by with Brittany and slaps at the back of her head, "Go help her, Sugar."
The pickpocket let's out a dramatic sigh and kicks off of the case to do as she's told. Brittany just chuckles at the two while they walk over to Mercedes and Quinn.
"Got everything?" Santana asks Mercedes. The hacker has a few cases of her own ready to load into the van resting by her feet.
She nods, "Yeah. Should be easy enough to get set up. Got the other cases you asked for over here too."
"Great," Santana smiles and looks to Brittany, "Can you help them? I'll trying wrangle those two over there so we can get a move on."
"You got it, boss!" Brittany replies eagerly and gets to work with Quinn and Mercedes.
\\
A moment later, they're all piling into the van and Brittany hops into the driver seat. It's a tight fit to get five women seated in the back, but they manage to squeeze in. Soon Quinn is passing out earpieces for everyone and once they're is situated, Quinn runs through a sound check.
"Mercedes?"
"Check."
"Santana?"
"Check."
"Sugar?"
"Hey girl hey!"
"Tina?"
"Check."
"Britt?"
"Check."
"Okay, great!" Quinn nods before she leans forward a little so that she can see Santana. They exchange satisfied smiles before sitting back in their spots to continue on with the drive in silence.
Santana can feel the buzz of excitement and anticipation as they get closer to their first destination. It's one of Santana's favorite feelings when it comes to a heist. The feeling just rattles her bones and fills her entire being up with pure adrenaline. She might've had a few moments here and there so far when the nerves almost took over, but that's what keeps her focused.
She was made for this.
\\
"Alright kiddos, first stop," Brittany calls out from the front seat as she parks just around the corner from the Met entrance.
Sugar, Tina and Quinn slowly make their way out of the van with Tina's case of tools. They also have their own bags slung over their shoulders concealing their uniforms and a change of clothes for later.
"Let us know how you go," Santana says to Quinn as Tina and Sugar begin to make their way to the staff entrance.
Quinn nods, "See you guys soon."
Santana only nods too before Quinn's shutting the door behind her.
\\
The next stop is Santana's and Brittany's a little worried about the choice as she pulls up to the destination.
"A public restroom?" Brittany questions then she's twisting around in her seat to spot Santana, "In a park no less? I can get you a hotel room instead?"
Santana chuckles as she prepares to exit the van, "You know everything's fully booked. Besides, it's only a short walk to the Met from here."
"You're going to walk there too?" Mercedes asks out of disbelief.
"Can I just do me? Damn," Santana huffs.
Brittany only laughs, "This area looks sketchy. Can I drop you off somewhere else?"
Santana brushes her off, "I'll be fine, Britt. Remember, I've done time. I wish someone would try me out here."
"San…"
"Britt…" Santana mimics before she softens, "I'll be fine. I promise."
"Alright," Brittany relents with a sigh.
Happy with her response, Santana makes her way out of the van with her bag. She comes around to the driver's side window and waits for Brittany to roll it down.
"Can I get a kiss before I go?" Santana asks super sweetly.
"You think you have to ask?" Brittany giggles and leans down so they can share a quick one through the window.
"Okay, get going. I'll see you in a bit," Santana waves.
Brittany just winks, "See ya."
\\
Dusk;
Everyone's had enough time now to get changed and into position. Quinn and Sugar are just finishing up with the service briefing for the staff working tonight's dinner. Tina's set up her work station in the staff bathroom off of the kitchen. Brittany and Mercedes are on stand by in the food truck with Mercedes' equipment all up and running.
And Santana's applying her final coat of lipstick.
Everything has led up to this moment and she's anxious to see how it all will play out, because no matter how prepared you are, anything can happen. She takes one more steadying breath before she taps at her ear piece.
"Countdown's on," Santana points out first with one last check of the time.
It's just after six so Emma should be arriving soon to the Met with Rachel and Dani. With everyone else deep in their covers now, Santana doesn't hear a response but she knows they're listening.
"So we made it, almost. I just want to start off by saying the nerves are normal. If they weren't there, I'd be worried because these jobs don't work without them. The nerves remind us that we really fucking want to pull this off and we will," Santana starts off.
She's watching her reflection as she finishes her make up and it's almost like she's talking to herself if it weren't for the others' in her ear. This pep talk is for everyone, including herself. She caps her lipstick and goes for her mascara next.
"Don't worry about getting locked up either. It's not so bad and I've still got a few connections on the inside so if all else fails, you'll all be taken care of," She pauses for a moment and shakes her head at her own honesty, "But no one's getting locked up because we're professionals and we're ready for anything."
From the food truck, Brittany smirks at Santana's slip up. She can hear in her words that Santana's trying her best to be professional. Afterall, this is her job and she has been the mastermind behind the entire thing so far.
Brittany's proud of her though, she loves to see this kind of growth in Santana.
Santana clears her throat and continues, "These last three weeks have been one hell of a ride, huh? We were on such a tight schedule and you all really uprooted yourselves to be here. I want to thank all of you for sticking around long enough to see this through. You've all worked very hard for this so whatever happens tonight, I just want everyone to remember why we're doing this."
With her clipboard in hand, Quinn stares down at her list and nods. She's not reading what it says but instead she's listening to Santana's words and thinks about her daughter, her family.
Tina too, thinks about her family and their business and what this money can mean for them.
"It's not for me and it's not even for you," Santana adds, "It's for all the little kids out there that dream one day of becoming a badass criminal."
Surrounded by a bunch of nerds in waiter uniforms, Sugar grins proudly. She's the youngest of Lopez's crew so Santana's words really resonate with her. She's been a pickpocket for as long as she can remember and she fills with pride that she's living out this dream.
"We're doing this for them," Santana says earnestly, "We're doing this for the children."
\\
Mercedes quirks her brow and turns to Brittany, "Did she just say this is for the children?"
Brittany chuckles, "Yeah, she did."
Mercedes shakes her head and swivels back to her screens, "That was not what I was expecting her to say."
"Santana's full of surprises," Brittany replies through her smile, "You get used to it."
\\
The entrance of the Met is cluttered with the chatter of celebrities being interviewed by news outlets and the bright flashes of the paparazzi's cameras. Santana hangs back a little when she catches sight of Emma, Rachel and Dani just ahead of her followed by the two guards looking after the Toussaint.
Santana can see that Dani's changed her hair color once again – a deep brunette – while Emma fusses over Rachel's train as they ascend the steps. She keeps her facial expression neutral as she follows at a safe distance until she's stopped to be checked in. She gains entrance easily thanks to Quinn and continues to keep her eye on the three as they head towards the exhibits.
\\
Inside the dining area, Quinn's as cool as a cucumber. She's flipping through the pages of her clipboard and double checking all the seating arrangements so that everything's perfect. Oddly enough, her job at Vogue is sort of a perfect fit for someone as organized as her.
She glances up in Santana's direction as she walks by the corridor and gives her a subtle nod before tapping at her earpiece.
"We can begin seating the guests," She says so that those around her and the team in her ear can hear.
"I'm about to see so many famous people," Sugar responds and they can just hear her chaotic excitement.
"Please don't break character," Quinn warns as she walks towards the dining room entrance.
"I'm not making any promises," Sugar replies.
"Sugar!" Santana whisper scolds.
"Chill, I was joking. Lighten up people, you're stressing me out," Sugar groans and soon she's entering the dining area as poised as ever.
Quinn catches sight of the pickpocket too and gives her a subtle nod, "Okay, bring them in."
\\
"Okay thank you. Enjoy!" Brittany says a bit too sweetly to another customer. She's dressed in her chef whites with her hair tied up in a neat bun and she's using the tongs she's holding to wave goodbye.
From the other end of the food truck, Mercedes chuckles, "Why don't you just put up the closed sign?"
Brittany just shrugs and goes to prep a plate of tots for them to share, "I've always wanted a food truck. Actually, I've always wanted an ice cream truck. Ice cream truck owners just seem so happy all the time."
"Well I know what you're using your share of the money for," Mercedes jokes before turning back to watch the screens. She's got eyes on everyone, but nothing too crazy is going down just yet.
Emma, Rachel Berry and Dani are slowly moving through the exhibits while Santana tails them. Across the venue, Quinn lingers around the host desk as guests begin to file in. Sugar's there too with a bottle of sparkling wine, she wanders around the space filling glasses and offering top-ups.
"How's it looking?" Brittany asks a moment later and slides a plate of tots between them.
Mercedes swipes one and pops it into her mouth, "Fancy as hell, but we're good. Some of the guests are starting to be seated."
"Sweet," Brittany smiles and starts to untie her apron, "I'm going to head in then and check on Tina. Starters will probably go out in the next thirty."
"Cool," Mercedes nods, "See you in a bit."
Brittany nods too and goes to fist bump Mercedes before she makes her way out of the truck.
\\
Near the exit of the exhibit Emma, Rachel and Dani were just in, Santana lingers by the archway that leads into the dining area. She doesn't actually have a place setting, so she hangs out near the bar and keeps her champagne flute close to her mouth to conceal her moving lips.
"They just left the exhibit," Santana alerts the group with a subtle press to her earpiece.
Quinn looks up from her task and spots the three being guided to their table by another hostess. She begins to make her way over, "I've got eyes on her. She's being seated now."
"I'm coming by for arrival drinks," Sugar says next and soon the pickpocket appears. There's a quickness to her step as she approaches and begins to fill everyone's glass.
"Britt, you can go on Rachel's appetizer in fifteen," Quinn instructs.
\\
In the kitchen, it's a mad house and there are bodies everywhere rushing to get dishes plated in time. Tina's hidden away where all the other kitchen hands stay washing up and doing prep work. She keeps her head down though and waits for her signal.
Brittany stands off to the side too in her own section of the kitchen dedicated to special dietary requirements, watching everyone's movements like a hawk while she listens to the others talk about what's happening in the dining room. When she hears Quinn call her out, Brittany nods and checks her pocket for the bottle she's meant to use on Rachel's appetizer.
"Heard," Brittany mutters before stepping up to the pass and calling out, "Ready on the vegan for table four!"
"Yes chef," The line calls out in return.
Brittany smirks at the robotic response; one of the perks about this job is that she can be so many different things: a chef, a small business owner, a con artist. The possibilities are endless!
Minutes later, several dishes are brought to the pass. Brittany inspects them all and it really looks like she knows what she's doing as she wipes away the chefs' fingerprints left on the sides of the plates. There are a couple more finishing touches here and there including a few drops from the bottle Brittany had in her pocket into Rachel Berry's vegan butternut squash soup.
She feels a little bad for what the star is about to go through, but it's only a fleeting thought before she's calling out, "Service please!"
Soon waitstaff enter and the dishes are on their way. Once they're out of sight and Brittany's sure no one's looking, she presses at her earpiece, "Alright ladies, soup's on."
\\
Emma sits rigidly next to Rachel Berry as she goes on and on about the projects she's currently working on. The designer's close to running off and hiding by the bar for the rest of the evening when an elegant bowl of soup is placed in front of Rachel.
Without an earpiece of her own, Emma has been pretty out of the loop so she can only guess where they are in the heist. But when the plate of soup is set down, Emma knows they're deep in this now. She watches with bated breath as Rachel dips her spoon in and takes a huge mouthful. It's a little disgusting to watch, especially paired with the obscene noises she's making at the taste.
She could've gone her whole life without hearing Rachel Berry moan.
"God, this is incredibly delicious!" Rachel commends dramatically.
The rest of the guests at the table – including Dani – look somewhat uncomfortable as Rachel's the only one with an appetizer for the moment. She takes another spoonful and hums in delight.
"I haven't eaten anything all day," Rachel sighs with her mouth full, "I must've forgotten, you know how long it takes to get prepared for these kind of events."
Dani forces a smile, "Right."
Rachel sees Dani's failed attempt to mask her discomfort and pauses, "I'd offer you some, but I know you aren't vegan as well and not everyone is accustomed to the taste of vegan food."
"It's just squash soup," Emma says with the shake of her head before she realizes she said those words aloud instead of keeping them to herself.
Rachel shoots her a glare, "It isn't just anything. Substitutes were used, sacrifices had to be made in order to preserve the lives of many. I'm a hero for what I do."
Emma blushes, "Of course. I apologize."
"Well," Dani starts off with a flirty smile, "I happen to think your veganism is sexy."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. You know what else I think is sexy?"
Rachel's attention is swiftly stolen as Dani starts to whisper more. Emma tries to focus on anything else but them while Rachel laughs like a giddy school girl between bites of soup.
\\
From offsides, Quinn catches Emma's eye before closing the distance to the table to see how far Rachel is into her soup. She can just barely see the bottom of the dish and smirks.
"She's nearly finished with the soup," Quinn tells the crew, "T-Minus fifteen minutes."
Sugar nods upon hearing the update and sets down her wine bottle in order to make her way towards the restrooms.
She moves quickly, only momentarily distracted by famous people twice, before she's entering the bathroom. She's surprised to see so many celebrities huddled in there taking mirror selfies and wonders if Santana would be mad if she happened to photobomb a couple of these. She decides against though, she's on the job.
With everyone so distracted with themselves, Sugar starts to lock each stall door from the inside…only allowing to far stall to be left unlocked.
\\
Fifteen Minutes Later;
"And I completely choked!" Rachel shrieks.
"No!" The guest next to Dani gasps.
"It's true. It never happened to me before," Rachel tells the table. She's mid story about some audition she went for early on in her career when her stomach gurgles.
Emma actually hears it and goes to touch Rachel's shoulder, "You okay?"
Rachel forces a smile and brushes off the feeling, "Of course, it's nothing. Anyway, where was I? Oh, I managed to – "
This time Rachel burps and everyone at the table looks to Rachel half out of disgust, half out of worry. Emma subtly scoots her chair further away because the sounds coming out of Rachel do not sound pretty.
Dani's probably the only one genuinely concerned as she leans in, "You sure you're alr – "
This time Rachel gags and shoots up from her seat. She's looking a shade of pale green but before anyone can tend to her, she gags again and takes off towards the restrooms.
\\
Santana waits at the bar for a refill when the sound of Mercedes' voice fills her ear.
"And she's on the move, ladies!" Mercedes alerts them from the food truck, "Sugar, she's coming to you."
Santana looks towards the entrance that leads into the dining room just as Rachel rushes out. Just behind her, Santana can see the two guards running to her aid.
Or rather, to keep their eyes on the Toussaint. She doubts they care about wearer of the actual necklace.
"I see her," Santana notes as she takes her newly filled glasses and heads towards the restrooms too. She gets there just as Rachel is slamming against the door and pushing her way inside before she hurls.
Two steps behind her are the broad-shouldered guards, but Santana cuts their path and begins pointing up at the sign hanging over the door.
"No way! I'm not letting you pervs in there," Santana huffs, "This is the ladies' room, yours is just there."
"Miss, please. Move!" One guard demands but Santana is stuck in her spot.
"You're going to have to carry me off, you're not getting by. Trying to sneak a peek at the women in there, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Santana argues, shoving the men back with her free hand while she tries hard to not spill her champagne.
The guards eventually give up and instead stay posted just a few feet away from the restroom doors to wait for Rachel's exit. Santana stays there too, careful to stand just outside of the blind spot's edge so that she's conveniently on camera for all to see.
Every so often the two guards glare her way and she gives it right back.
\\
Inside the bathroom, Rachel stumbles into the last stall and drops to her knees before the toilet. Everything's a blur; all she manages to focus on is aiming for the bowl. She feels so incredibly sick, she's never felt anything like it before. Rachel's skin feels clammy, her stomach is all in a twist and the nauseous feeling just won't let up. The only thing that makes her feel any better is hurling.
Sugar appears out of the stall next to Rachel. Her nose is scrunched at the sounds the star is making, "This is so gross."
"Quickly Sugar," Mercedes warns, "Santana, you're right on the edge of the blind spot. Stay right there. Quinn, ten seconds."
Sugar nods and goes in after Rachel, "Oh no, you're really barfing your guts out. You good?"
Rachel can vaguely hear someone come in the stall after her and soon a hand is rubbing gently at her back. It feels kind of nice and for a moment, she wonders if it's Dani coming to check on her. She's too preoccupied with throwing up to turn around and check though.
"You're doing great," Sugar prompts and just as Rachel heaves one more time, she's able to unlock the necklace and quickly stuff it in her pocket.
Once she has it in her possession, Sugar makes her way out of the restroom.
\\
From her spot by the restroom door, Santana sees the busboy Quinn got moving approaching with his tray. She begins counting down in her head and glancing towards the door for Sugar's exit.
3…2…1
Just as the door opens, Santana accidentally bumps into the incoming busboy who then swivels around just in time for Sugar to smoothly plant the necklace on his tray. It happens quick and the two guards are none the wiser.
"And he's out of here! Everyone's still in the dark," Mercedes cheers as the busboy heads off to the kitchen.
Santana and Sugar share a smirk before Sugar slips into the men's restroom to hide. Santana just takes a slow sip of her champagne, loving how the evening is progressing according to plan.
\\
In the kitchen, Brittany smiles proudly to herself then looks over to Tina who's smiling back. They both look expectantly to the door, anxiously awaiting the busboy's arrival. It's meant to only take thirty seconds at the max for him to arrive, but it's now verging on four minutes and he's still nowhere to be found.
It puts Brittany on edge and she quickly presses at her earpiece, "Yo, where is this guy?"
From her spot by the bar, Santana straightens, "What do you mean?"
"No one's come in yet," Brittany explains. She keeps staring at the double doors as if she's willing it to open and for this guy to come strolling through already.
In the food truck, Mercedes checks the cameras and instantly spots the busboy with another staff member chatting in the hall. She rolls her eyes at his behavior and goes to alert the team, "He's in the hallway with some other kid."
Santana tightens her grip on her glass, "Quinn, go kick his ass. He's wasting time."
From the dining room, Quinn nods and begins to quickly walk towards the hallway. When she gets near, she can already hear their voices from behind the door. She steels herself and slips on her bitch-face before slamming the door open.
"What the hell is going on here?" She snaps and the two busboys instantly look mortified, "Your job is to clear, not stand back here and chat. What's the matter with you two? Move it! Let's go."
The two boys quicken their paces and get back to work with a renewed urgency while Quinn let's out a relieved sigh.
"Good work," Santana compliments, "Glad your mom-voice could be of some use."
"Poor Beth," Brittany teases too.
Quinn rolls her eyes at them both, "Shut up." Then she glances up at the camera she knows Mercedes is bound to be watching and gives it a little wave before heading back to the dining area.
\\
Soon the busboy enters the kitchen and heads towards the dishwashing area to unload his tray.
"Hi, can you bring that tray here?" Tina asks before the guy can start to unload. He looks at her oddly before shrugging and bringing the tray over, "Thank you. I just love washing dishes by hand."
"Sure," He says dismissively before heading back out to the floor.
Tina dumps everything into the sink of soapy water and then feels around for the necklace. Although the sink is full of other dishes and utensils, the feel of the Toussaint is hard to miss. She lifts the weighty necklace from the soapy water and goes to rinse it off. It sparkles beautifully, even under the fluorescent bulbs of the kitchen.
"Oh my God, I'm holding 150 million dollars worth of diamonds," Tina gasps.
"Stay focused," Santana warns.
"Sorry, okay," Tina takes a steadying breath before slipping the necklace in her pocket. She looks around at the other kitchen hands, "I'm going to the bathroom."
No one even gives her a second look before Tina rushes to the staff bathroom. Inside the small stall, Tina pulls out her tools she concealed earlier and sets off in dividing the necklace.
\\
Back by the restroom Santana has been watching, she finally spots Rachel exit.
"Wow, that was such an experience," Rachel sighs. She's looking like a sweaty, disheveled mess but there is something noticeably different about her appearance: her neck is completely bare.
The two guards turn to her and gape.
"What?" Rachel frowns, "Why are you looking at me like that? Is it my make up? I tried to – "
"Move!" The guards demand and rush for the ladies' restroom.
Rachel's looking scandalized, as if a 150 million dollar necklace is more important than her well-being? It's unheard of and she can't wait to tell Cartier about their guards' lack of empathy and compassion.
Fortunately for Rachel, Dani has been waiting off to the side for her to return. Dani approaches her looking rather worried and for a moment there, Rachel wonders if she had been waiting there all this time. Rachel hasn't known Dani long, but she's charming and attractive and the tabloids just love spouting rumors about their relationship. If Dani's lucky, Rachel might just keep her around.
"Hey, are you okay?" Dani asks and Rachel is so relieved that someone finally cares that she almost died in there.
"Yes, thank you for asking," Rachel smiles appreciatively.
Dani smirks, "Oh course. You had me worried. What's going on with the guards?"
Rachel rolls her eyes at their mention, "Apparently the necklace is missing."
Dani's eyes drift down to Rachel's neck and back up to meet her eyes, "Oh yeah, so it is."
Suddenly the guards are exiting the restroom. Their facial features are harder than before while they talk amongst each other in a hushed tone It's not looking good at all.
"Did you find it?" Rachel questions when the guards still haven't gone over for an update.
They shake their heads and one of the guards steps forward, "We're going to have to shut this place down so we can do a proper search."
"What?" Rachel gasps, "Over a necklace? Is it really that serious?"
"Yes, it is extremely serious," The guard nods.
Dani scoffs, "Well, I didn't take it so can we just get back to dinner?"
Rachel and the guards look at Dani like she has two heads before the guards are waving her off.
"No. We can't," One guard replies and taps at his earpiece, "We're going to seal the exits."
"Oh my God," Rachel groans, "This is unbelievable."
The guards don't really pay her any attention as they begin to herd the guests towards the front of the Met.
\\
From the food truck, Mercedes watches on with a careful eye as zones of the Met begin to filter out. At each exit, several guards are posted in order to check everyone individually for the Toussaint.
"Okay, everyone's being moved to the entrance. Exits are being sealed now," Mercedes alerts the team.
From the staff bathroom, Tina let's out a shaky breath. She's working diligently to break up the necklace but it's probably her sloppiest work yet considering the time restraint. Regardless, she keeps her head down and stays focused as she keeps an ear out for Mercedes' updates.
Within minutes, police and news vans are pulling up outside of the Met. It's a flurry of police officers and camera crews wanting to get the first crack at this breaking story. Mercedes becomes giddy at watching all the chaos unfold from the safety of the food truck.
"Oh hell, it's really going down out here! News vans and police have rolled up," Mercedes adds.
\\
Santana is blending into the crowd as it starts to move towards the exit, but she tries her best to hang back and wait for her signal.
"How's it looking on your side, Q?" She asks.
From the dining room, Quinn scans the area and looks over to the exit where guards are scanning everyone.
"They're about halfway through in here," Quinn says then glances over to Rachel's table where the star sits with Dani and two guards, "Rachel's still getting questioned too."
At the table, the guard asking the questions sits stiffly before Rachel and asks, "You didn't talk to anyone once you were headed for the bathroom?"
Rachel lets out an aggravated huff. She doesn't know how many times she has to repeat herself. She's recounted her journey several times already and it wasn't anything special. She felt sick, she got up from the table, power-walked to the restroom and put her head in a toilet.
"Miss Berry, please. This information is very important," The guard presses further.
Not one to mask her annoyance, Rachel rolls her eyes and says, "Like I said, I wasn't exactly in the mood to converse with anyone. In case you didn't notice, I was rather ill. I went from this table straight to the bathroom."
\\
Back in the kitchen, Brittany anxiously awaits her signal. The guards have yet to come and clear out the kitchen and it's important that Brittany's out of there before that happens. When she checks the time again, she grimaces.
Time is running out!
There's this energy and excitement coursing through Brittany' body and she's just itching to get the ball rolling already, but as time ticks away worry starts to chip away at her excitement. It's becoming harder to keep her cool – usually she's the most level-headed during a job – the longer she waits, but then suddenly there's some static in her ear.
"Test. Test. You two hear me?" Mercedes asks.
Brittany's never been so relieved to hear her voice and quickly replies, "Check."
"Check," Santana replies too. She has been evading the guards while she also waited for Mercedes.
"Okay. We're secure. I've got eyes on the others so you're free to move into position," Mercedes instructs. This next part of the job only takes a select few to complete, so Mercedes patches them through to a private channel for the time being.
"Ready, Britt?" Santana asks.
Brittany beams with her infamous Pierce smile, "Whenever you are."
"I'll get into position," Santana tells her.
Brittany nods and whips off her apron before tossing it on the counter. She heads over to area where Tina was once washing dishes and finds a slender man humming to himself in the corner while he scrubs at a pan. He's tapping his foot to the rhythm as Brittany approaches.
She chuckles and goes to pat his shoulder, "Let's go, Chang, it's showtime."
Mike Chang, former Olympic gymnast and personal friend of Brittany's, spins on the spot and his bright smile matches the blonde's. They've been in contact ever since Santana clued her in on this particular part of the job. When she had asked Brittany if she knew of anyone who was super flexible and down for a little thievery, Mike was Brittany's first pick.
Mike quickly dries his hands on his apron before whipping it off as well, "Man, I'm relieved. My fingers were getting all pruney."
Brittany scrunches her nose at the look of his hands, "Washing dishes is the worst."
"Seriously," Mike agrees before following Brittany as she retrieves their special cart.
With Mike at Brittany's side, the two begin to make their way towards their destination. Most were too concerned with complaining about the evening's interruption and making their ways towards the checkpoint to notice them sneak by the dining room. They kept up with their swift pace until they spotted Santana lingering by the entrance of their intended target.
"Wow Santana, you look…" Brittany couldn't find a word worthy enough to describe the woman who stood before her. The hair, the makeup, the dress…everything about Santana was jaw dropping. It made Brittany's outfit of chef whites seem so inadequate next to her.
Santana blushed at the compliment and tried to hide her coy smile behind her champagne flute. She knows she looks good and she has received compliments all night from strangers, but it does something different to her when they come from Brittany. With Brittany, she's heard it all but the blonde's flirty words never seem to lose its effect.
"No time for sweet talking, Britt," Santana chastises lightly.
Brittany smirks, "There's always time, especially when you look like that."
From behind them, Mike looks at the two fondly. Like Quinn, he has also worked with Santana and Brittany on and off throughout the years. He's also well aware of their little…dance.
"Hey Chang," Santana finally tears her eyes away long enough to spot the gymnast lingering behind Brittany.
He bows his head politely, "Miss Lopez. You're looking sharp."
"Thank you. Well you two better get in there," Santana replies with a nod to the exhibit.
Mike and Brittany give her a resolute nod and head inside, but not before Brittany steals a quick kiss from Santana.
\\
Once Brittany and Mike are in, everything becomes way more real for them. They're surrounded by the crown jewels of eight different royal families and they're going to nab them all.
Brittany's quick to set up their cover. She pulls out a twenty foot selfie stick from the cart then attaches her phone to it before positioning it in before the exhibit's camera. Mike's already shedding his baggy chef pants and grey t-shirt covered in patches of drying dishwater to reveal the all black leotard he's been wearing underneath. While Brittany moves on to unload the suspension system from the cart, Mike clips into his harness and shrugs on a backpack.
They both finish up around the same time and when Brittany spots his outfit, she smiles.
"You look like Catwoman," Brittany points out then pauses to wonder, "Or Catman? Is there a Catman?"
Mike shrugs and adjusts his night vision goggles, "I have no idea, but I'm about to feel very Catwoman-like."
Brittany nods and turns him around to load the suspension system into his backpack. Once everything is secure, she gives him a pat on the shoulder and he's off. All Brittany can do is watch as Mike uses his height and agility to make it up onto the rafters. Brittany's never not impressed by Mike's fluid movements, he makes the most difficult of tasks look so easy!
Mike continues to stay focused as he moves along, careful to avoid the sensors as he goes and pray that he doesn't make a wrong move and plummet into the moat below. Once he gets into position, he removes the suspension system from his backpack and begins to set it up. Brittany watches from below for a moment until she's confident that he has everything under control up there.
When she's satisfied, she heads back over to their cart and starts unloading waterproof bags containing replicas Tina made before. Brittany also unloads the small toy submarine she picked up the night before and sets it in the water. She attaches the first bag of replica jewelry and uses the toy sub's remote controls to tow it in Mike's direction.
It's perfect time because Mike gets the suspension system online and begins his descent just as the bag of jewels arrives below. From there, it's a simple switcheroo that they just have to repeat until they've wiped the entire exhibit.
\\
Outside the exhibit, Santana has already had to redirect a guard's attention. Luckily, she was able to smooth talk her way around it but she doubts she'll be able to do that again. She keeps an eye on the time and tries to refrain from pestering Brittany and Mike.
"How we looking out there, Mercedes?" Santana asks instead. She hasn't heard an update since this part of the job began, but she supposes that's a good sign.
"Still on the hunt. We're all good," Mercedes replies almost instantly.
It's a relief and she waits a few more minutes before she checks in with Brittany, "What about you, Britt?"
"Making great time. So glad Mike was free to do this. I'm flexible but not like this," Brittany says and it makes Santana smirk.
"I beg to differ," Santana flirts.
"Gross," Mercedes feigns a gag.
Santana's in mid laugh when another guard comes appears. Her smile quickly drops, "Fuck. Someone's coming. Stand by."
\\
The sound of slight panic in Santana's voice has Brittany rushing to store the stolen jewels. Mike's too far away for her to talk to, so she can only hope that he can feel the sudden tension and pick up the pace. They're on the last display now which happens to be one large piece instead of several smaller ones so that's at least a little good news.
In a matter of minutes, Brittany's packing away the final bag and Mike's ascending to the rafters to get packed up.
"Okay, we're wrapping up now," Brittany says.
Mike joins her a moment later and wipes the sweat from his brow, "That was fun."
"Looked like it," Brittany replies as she shuts the doors to the cart, "Now let's bounce."
\\
While Mike and Brittany retreat with the cart to the catering van and Santana hides herself away in a janitor's closet to avoid the guards, Mercedes patches everyone back through to the main channel as she scans the cameras.
Santana's safe. Quinn, Sugar and Emma are safe. Brittany and Mike are safe. Tina's –
"Oh shit," Mercedes gasps then presses to her earpiece, "Someone's in the kitchen."
From the staff restroom Tina whisper-yells, "What?! I'm not finished yet."
Mercedes watches the man inspect the recently cleared kitchen. His movements are slow and methodical, "Tina, he's right there."
Tina shakes her head. Her hands remain steady although her heart rate spikes, "Just a few more minutes."
From the janitor's closest, Santana hangs on every word between the two but she knows when they're pressing their luck.
"You're out of time, Tina," Santana warns.
Mercedes watches the guard cross the room. It looks like he has his eyes on the restroom door, "Guys…he's close, just by the door."
"Fuck," Santana curses and she's quick to think, "Q? Where are you now?"
Quinn lingers by the water in the dining room and replies, "The moat. What's happening?"
"You have to pull it out of the water," Santana instructs.
Quinn pauses, "What? That wasn't the plan."
"It doesn't matter! Just do it, pull it out of the water. Hurry!" Santana urges.
"Okay, okay. I'm going," Quinn replies and hastily lifts her dress to reveal the replica Toussaint hanging off of her thing by a garter. She makes a show of retrieving from the water and lifts it high as she calls out to the guards, "I found it!"
Guards rush to her in an instant to inspect it with Rachel and Dani close behind. With a once over, the guard radios in to the rest of his team, "We've found it."
Mercedes watches the guard in the kitchen retreat without another look, "You're good, Tina. He's gone."
From the Janitor's closet, Santana slumps against the wall in relief, "Fuck. I thought I was going to have a heart attack."
"You and me both," Mercedes replies with a light chuckle.
\\
Soon after the guards retrieve the necklace, the lockdown on the venue is lifted.
"Alright Sugar, you can move," Mercedes instructs, "The lockdown is lifted."
Sugar slips out from the men's room and adjusts her blazer before heading towards the kitchen to meet with Tina. Santana exits the closet too and rejoins the rest of the guests while Mercedes goes to get changed into her evening dress.
\\
Sugar's one of the first people to return to the kitchen and she beelines it for the staff restroom where Tina is just finishing up on the Toussaint pieces.
"Wow, that's a lot of bling," Sugar gasps and she's almost star-struck as she reaches out to touch.
"Careful of the glue," Tina warns before she takes it upon herself to load Sugar's pockets with the new pieces of jewelry.
Sugar's pockets are heavy and it makes her feel a little giddy that she's basically wearing 150 million dollars worth of jewels, like she's allowed to do it this time without fear of Santana scolding her. She thinks back to her leader's pep talk from before about little kids dreaming about being criminals and she straightens up a little taller, because what she's doing…it's history in the making.
Once Sugar heads off, Tina leaves to get changed into her evening dress too now that her part of the job is over.
\\
Out around the venue, Sugar begins to distribute the jewelry amongst the team. First its Quinn then Mercedes – now all glammed up in a beautiful red dress – followed by a drop off to Emma and ending with Santana. All smooth handovers and nothing is suspected. Once Sugar has distributed everything, she slips away to get changed too.
Meanwhile out in a parking garage, Brittany has just finished stowing the catering van and the cart of jewels. Now she slips into her helmet and mounts her motorcycle, heading for a place to get gussied up like the others.
\\
Back inside, Santana lets the weight of the jewelry weight heavily in her palm while she keeps her eye on Dani who returns to the bar for another drink. Santana takes the brief moment to reflect on the past, their past. It wasn't very long and it might've been a little bit of whirlwind, but she supposes it's time to really look her pain in the eye and acknowledge it. Like Brittany said before, she doesn't always have to pretend to be so tough. She can take a moment to honor her pain and how Dani hurt her.
And Santana does. She watches as Dani flirts with the bartender and smiles that same smug, shit-eating grin that once hooked her too. She takes in the expensive, designer suit Dani wears and wonders if it was the money they acquired together that paid for it. She remembers being in that interrogation room, remaining tight-lipped and loyal until she got word that Dani had cracked. She remembers feeling heartbroken. Not because she was in love with Dani, but because her trust was obliterated by Dani's betrayal.
When Santana looks at Dani now, she just shakes her head. To think that she could ever get away with hurting Santana like that and not pay a price? She must've not known Santana at all to begin with. What Santana's about to do now, it's more than just payback. It's more than just being petty or cruel.
This is for her.
So Santana makes her move. With a well-timed bump and avoidance of Dani's eye, Santana manages to slip her piece of the Toussaint into Dani's blazer pocket. When she feels it fall to the bottom of Dani's pocket, it's like the final piece of a puzzle sinking into place. It's a great feeling and she disappears into the crowd of guests with the most proudest of smirks on her face.
Now, all there is left to do is enjoy the rest of their night. The entire team looks drop dead gorgeous, especially donning their new, custom-made jewelry.
\\
With spending most of her night amongst the guests and their pretentious attitudes, Santana doesn't really want to hang around any longer than she has to. Instead, she slips away and heads out into the night. She might have just a slight buzz going – an open bar can do that – but she's coherent enough to read a watch. When she checks hers, she frowns at the time.
She glances down the street then looks the other way and her frown deepens: Brittany's late.
Or so Santana thought.
Brittany steps out from behind the food truck parked across the street and her eyes instantly find Santana's. She's dressed in a shimmering green suit and there's this swagger to her step as she crosses that Santana can only sum up to being completely Brittany. There's this lopsided grin filling her face too and Santana can't help but mirror it as she nears.
"Wow," Santana breathes out once Brittany stands before her. Brown eyes rake up Brittany's frame and it's like Santana's words fumble to land with grace, "You look…"
"Better than your ex?" Brittany supplies with a smirk. She can spot the telltale signs of Santana beginning to short circuit and she supposes it's only fair considering Santana also left her kind of speechless earlier by the exhibit.
Santana chuckles and tugs Brittany in by her waist, "Way better."
Brittany molds into Santana's embrace easily and glances at the woman's hairline, "The blonde surprised me. You really committed to the part."
"Thought I'd switch it up," Santana shrugs, "You like it?"
"I do," Brittany beams before glancing down Santana's cleavage, "I like this dress even better."
"Yeah?" Santana asks, her tone growing husky at the hungry look in Brittany's eye.
"Mhmm.." Brittany hums, "But I think I rather see you out of – "
"Dear Lord, Sweet Baby Jesus. Don't finish that sentence," Mercedes' voice rings out startling the woman, "Take out your damn earpieces!"
Santana and Brittany laugh as they pull apart and send off their apologies before taking them out. While Santana stores them in her purse, she looks to Brittany and asks, "What took you so long before? I thought something happened."
Brittany quirks a brow and goes to tease her with a poke to Santana's side, "Were you worried about me? That's cute."
"No," Santana blushes as she bats away Brittany's hand, "I was just wondering. You're never late."
Brittany teasing grin turns mischievous as she lowers her voice enough to send a shiver down Santana's spine, "You really wanna know?"
"Uh-huh," Santana hums almost entranced. She watches Brittany lick her lips and she's suddenly so aware of how long its been since she's felt them on her skin.
"I slashed Dani's tires after I parked the van," Brittany admits slyly, "At least, I think it was Dani's tires. I'm not one hundred percent sure but it still felt good."
Santana bites her lip, "That's so hot."
"You think so? I thought about just taking it for a joyride and maybe parking it on a different level so she'd never be able to find it but that would be too time consuming," Brittany explains before setting her hand on Santana's hip, "I didn't want to keep my girl waiting too long."
Santana swoons and she can't tell whether it's because of Brittany's suave ways or the fact that she was out slashing her ex's tires in her honor or maybe it's because they just finished up a huge part of the heist and everything went so smoothly. Her body is all a buzz, but she becomes more aware of the familiar throb.
"God," Santana just about moans, "I'm so turned on right now."
Brittany knows. She knew it the instant she uttered the words slashed Dani's tires that Santana would become all hot and bothered.
"You and this thing with crime," Brittany jokes, "It really gets you going, huh?"
Santana can only smirk, "Sex after a successful job is kind of tradition, don't you think?"
It doesn't take long before Santana's pushing Brittany up against a streetlight and kissing her way along Brittany's jawline. It's about as public as they've ever been – not that it's an issue – but it's something new and that excites them both even more so.
"But what about the Gala?" Brittany pouts half-heartedly, "Don't you want to go inside?"
"I can think of somewhere else I'd rather be," Santana replies smoothly.
Really, that's all Brittany needs to hear before she's relenting. She can scam her way into some other famous party another time, because right now all she wants to do is fulfill every dirty little tradition she and Santana has.
"You're right," Brittany mumbles against Santana's lips. She places one last kiss there before nudging her away, "Let's grab some champagne and churros while we're at it!"
"Really go all out," Santana jokes.
"Hell yeah!" Brittany beams and then the two of them are sauntering down the block hand in hand just coasting on that euphoric high of a job well done.