Shout out to thisisnotourparadise on tumblr for being a sounding board and a supportive cheerleader during the last few parts of this fic. Appreciate you!
X
It was midday and the large food service tent was filled to the brim with artists and bands lounging about in luxury. It was a bit of a hassle as Santana and Brittany slowly inched their way towards the buffet line. Brittany accidentally stepped on Ed Sheeran's foot, Santana accidentally got jabbed in the side by Lana Del Rey. By the time they made it to the food they were ready to load up and get the hell out of there. Neither of them were in the mood to search for a table or sit among the crowds. The plan was to take their plates back to Santana's trailer and have breakfast in bed.
''I'm so starved,'' Brittany said as shovelled a serving of eggs onto her plate.
"Me too."
"Oo! Grab me a piece of French toast on your side, I can't reach it."
"Done. Since you're over there get a little cup of that whipped cream will ya?"
Brittany looked at the food on Santana's plate. "What are you going to put whipped cream on?"
"You hopefully. The sooner we get our food the sooner we can go back to my trailer and out of these clothes."
"You're ready for round two?"
''You know if you want to be technical about it, it'd be more like round six.''
Brittany shot her a look as if to say oh please. ''I'll give you round four maybe, if we're counting each singular orgasm as a different round, but there was no way you went for six rounds.''
''We totally went for six rounds!'' Santana said in defense of her awesome stamina.
''In your dreams did we go for six rounds!''
They squabbled as they started walking away with their drinks and food in hand and that's when Brittany spotted someone familiar sitting nearby.
''Wait,'' Brittany said halting Santana along with her. ''Is that-it is-hold up!''
In the middle of the crowded area Brittany took several confident, firm strides over to a table where she saw the one and only Holly Holliday. Holly looked to be in deep conversation with several people who were hanging on her every word.
Addressing her audience at the table Holly calmly took a sip of a mimosa. ''So then I says to Mable I says-''
''You,'' Brittany interjected and tossed her plate of food on the table, making everything around it clink. ''Holly whoever, you got some freaking nerve showing up here backstage.''
Holly's face cracked in confusion and discomfort. ''Excuse me?''
''Oh you don't remember us? We're the two people you handcuffed together against their will yesterday.'' Brittany made a show of lifting up her cuffed hand. Santana's own cuffed hand could only limpy follow. ''You have one sick sense of humor lady. Seriously who does that? Just so you know we spent hours running around this place trying to get out of them.''
Santana flinched. This was looking like it was going to get real unpleasant real fast if she didn't say something. ''Uh Brittany?''
''No,'' Brittany said softly to her. She was in no mood to be soothed, she was ready to give Holly Holliday a piece of her mind. ''What she did, what you did-'' she reached forward to give Holly a hard poke in her shoulder. ''-was out of line and completely uncalled for but I guess that doesn't matter to you. As long as you found it funny right? You're lucky we don't kick your ass!''
''Brittany,'' Santana tried to get her attention again, to no avail however.
''Whoa, whoa, whoa.'' Holly stood up from her seat and raised her hands at her side as if to playfully surrender. ''Why don't we all just chillax huh?''
''Don't tell me to chillax,'' Brittany shouted. ''What kind of life coach are you? Something tells me you're the last person who should be meddling in anyone else's life.''
Realizing that her flippant remark was probably not the right way to go Holly got serious. ''I'm an excellent life coach I have you know and of course I remember the two of you. For the record though I didn't do what I did because I thought it was a joke. Handcuffing the two of you together was an exercise, albeit an unorthodox one. But when I realized it probably wasn't doing either of you any good I tracked the both of you down and gave you guys the key.''
''What are you talking about?'' Brittany scoffed. ''You never showed up and you certainly never gave us the key!''
''Uh yes I did,'' said Holly.
They were creating a full on scene as everyone around them stopped eating and paused to watch this strange exchange taking place.
Behind them, several tables away Sam and The Dirty Pinks took notice. A few tables away from them Sugar and Mike shared a glance before she gave him a nudge, silently instructing him to turn his camera on and aim it at the people in question.
''I showed up backstage at your concert last night,'' Holly explained. ''I figured you two being handcuffed for a couple of hours was enough so I went to your show and found your friend backstage. The blond guy with the weird lips. Him. I gave him the key and told him to give it to you. He said he would.''
''Well he didn't,'' Brittany protested with an indignant laugh. ''Right Santana?''
Holly stared hard and long at Santana, and then Brittany, and then Santana again. The older woman blinked rapidly as if she were trying to piece something together in her head.
''He never gave us a key,'' Brittany again stated. This time she turned to Santana at her side, seeking support and someone to back her up. This Holly lady was clearly lying through her teeth. ''Right? Right? He never gave you the key,'' she said to Santana and then to Holly, ''he never gave her the key!''
Holly softened towards Brittany. ''I don't know where the key is now, but I'm telling you the truth. I was backstage at your show. I left the key for the both of you...I'm sorry if you didn't get it.''
''You weren't at my show,'' Brittany said, still clinging to what she wanted to believe. Because if Holly was telling the truth that meant Sam had the key all along, and if Sam had the key then that meant more than likely Santana was completely aware of its location. All of this of course in turn meaning there was the possibility that the previous night was orchestrated on some level.
''I was,'' Holly said gently. ''Ask yourself this if I wasn't at your show then how would I know that near the end of your set you and Santana did some kooky mash up of Tainted Love?''
Brittany didn't have an answer to that and the truth of the statement hit her like a ton of bricks. She studied Santana at her side for a long moment.
''Do you have the key?'' she asked.
''No.''
''Does Sam have the key?''
There was no way around it. No way but the truth as uncomfortable as it may be. ''Yes,'' Santana answered, her voice wavering with emotion.
''Did you know?''
Santana said nothing and that was confirmation enough for Brittany who was now on the brink of tears as she stormed off. Unfortunately she couldn't just storm away from Santana who had no choice but to toss her own plate of food aside and follow her out, past the crowds of people to stand about just outside of the tent.
''Brittany let me explain okay? Please.'' Santana begged as she moved around desperately in order to see into Brittany's eyes, but it seemed no matter how many times she tried Brittany would just turn away, refusing to look at her. She went to place a hand on her shoulder only to have Brittany shrug it off and spin around to confront her.
''What the hell was all of this? Was this whole thing just some big game to you? Some joke?''
''What? Of course not.''
''The first time we were in your trailer, right after it happened, I told you what my show that night meant to me. I told you what it meant to my band. You knew it was the most important show of my life and you didn't think to tell me oh by the way Sam has the key?''
''But I didn't know he had the key until after we finished your show.'' Santana wasn't trying to make excuses or downplay what she did but she thought that was important to note. ''I would've never went on stage handcuffed like that if I knew we had the key beforehand for the exact reason you said, because I knew how important it was to you.''
Brittany was practically trembling in place. ''Let's just say I believe that, why didn't you say anything after the fact when you knew Holly had given Sam the key?''
Santana sniffed, looking all kinds of sad and pathetic. ''As far as everyone knew your ex had bolt cutters being delivered so I thought...I thought since we were going to be seperated soon anyway when they got here, why not wait? You and I were starting to have fun, we were starting to really talk and connect and I thought that could mean something. I wanted it to mean something so bad. But then, then the bolt cutters didn't pan out and at that point...I just wanted more time with you. But I swear I was going to tell you about the key.''
''When?'' Brittany demanded.
''Right before we…'' Santana started and then went very quiet and very serious. ''Right before we made love. I swear I was going to tell you right then and there but then you...you...you know the rest. I got caught up in the moment, I got caught up in you and I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry.''
''If you liked me, if you wanted us to spend time together why couldn't you have just said that in the first place?''
''I should have. That was my dumbass mistake but it doesn't change how I feel about you. Brittany…'' Santana wiped at her red and watery eyes. ''I love you.''
''You love me?'' Brittany looked up skywards, questioning the plausibility after all of this. She felt so silly, so foolish. The night before had felt like an endless epic and intimate adventure between the two of them but maybe perhaps that was all in her head she thought. Maybe it hadn't been any of that, maybe it was just the spontaneity of it all that made it feel bigger and more powerful than it really was. ''We spent one day together...you don't even know me and you know what? I'm starting to think I don't even know you.''
''That's not true. I'll gladly spend the rest of my life making up for the key but you can't say that you and me weren't real. Last night was real and not just the sex - mind blowing as it was - everything you shared with me and everything I shared with you, all of that was real. It was real.'' Santana's cheeks were wet with tears. ''Every laugh and every second and every secret. You're the only girl I've ever really truly shared myself with in that way.''
''How do I know that?'' Brittany was full on crying now as well, her voice breaking. ''If you lied about the key, what else did you lie about? Because for all I know all of that - all of that about feeling alone and trapped and empty - could've just been an act. Just something you do to make girls believe they're special and that you just need saving so they fall into bed with you.''
''I would never do that! You have to believe me. You have to trust me.''
''How can I after what you pulled? God I'm such an idiot to have not seen through it all. You're Santana Lopez. Just another imposter in this industry.''
''No I'm not and deep down inside you know that,'' Santana insisted. ''You're telling me had these handcuffs come off earlier in the night you would've just said your goodbyes and been on your merry way? You're telling me you didn't feel anything that would've made you want more time with me?''
''That's my point, Santana, I don't know what I would've done because you took away that choice for me. I thought we were LITERALLY stuck together but the entire time the key was in your band mate's pocket. If you cared about me so much like you say you do I would've thought you would've given that to me, a choice.''
''That isn't how it was, I mean-I wasn't thinking about it like that.''
''Were you even thinking at all? About me? About me having any kind of say in the matter? You know maybe - just maybe - if you had told me about the key and explained how you felt, maybe I would've taken the handcuffs off and still wanted to spend the rest of my night with you.''
''So you're saying even if we weren't handcuffed together we would've still ended up exactly where we were back in my trailer between the sheets?''
''That's not the point,'' Brittany stressed. ''The point is you made a choice for the both of us. You can't just trap someone into spending time with you, you can't just do things like that and then think everything is okay because of who you are.''
''I know and I don't.'' Santana stepped forward and gently placed her hands on each of Brittany's shoulders and let them slide down slowly to her hands which she held within her own. She brought them to her lips and laid heartbreakingly soft kisses onto them. ''I did a stupid selfish thing but please, please don't let this be over because of it. Please?''
Brittany watched as Santana cried and for a moment Brittany was almost compelled to crumble right along with her and into her arms. There was a part of Brittany that just wanted to accept what Santana was saying and let it be but that part of her died a little when she turned her head and noticed that a small handful of people had actually followed them out and had been watching their teary exchange with each other.
Quinn, Dani, Tina, Sam and Lake were standing there watching, looking concerned and shocked at this unexpected dust up. But the one thing that made Brittany freeze up and go cold was when she caught sight of the camera lens that was trained on them. It appeared that along with their bandmates that persistent little entertainment reporter Sugar Motta and her cameraman had also followed them out but of course what made their witnessing this so much worse was the fact that they were obviously getting video and taping her and Santana's deeply private moment.
That was the life Santana Lopez had signed up for, but that wasn't what Brittany was about and it was like a slap to the face to know their vulnerable moment would more than likely be fodder to the vultures online.
''Whoever has this key, can you please get the handcuffs the hell off me?'' Brittany asked, wiping away her tears and trying to compose herself, not wanting to give anything more to the camera.
As Santana stood speechless Sam jogged up and pulled the key out from his pocket. Brittany snatched it away and with a shaky hand freed herself from the restraints before tossing the key to the ground and making a break from the scene. She didn't want anyone getting video of her tears, she didn't want anyone owning a piece of her like that, especially after she felt like she had been lied to by the person she had intimately shared herself with the previous night.
Quinn, Dani and Tina tossed panicked but apologetic looks towards Sam and Lake and without a word they began to jog after Brittany. Lake and Sam looked towards each other, not knowing what to say to Santana who was left standing before them, her cuff still attached to her wrist.
Santana looked devastated and heartbroken and about a million other things, of course all of those emotions dimmed and were replaced with a sort of blind rage when she herself spotted Sugar and Mike and that damn video camera. In that second something in her snapped and she started for them, or rather more specifically, she started towards that camera, intent on pulling it off of the cameraman and breaking it until nothing of it existed. Unable to channel her sadness and frustration in any other way destroying the electronic device was her only outlet. She went at Sugar in order to get to Mike but Santana only managed to give one good hard shove before Sam pulled her back, wrapping an arm around her waist and keeping her in place before she could do any damage.
The last thing they needed, they last thing Santana needed was news of her breaking the property of someone from the press.
As Santana struggled against him slightly Sam tried to calm her. ''Santana, stop, okay? Stop. I know you're angry but you can't do that. Come on, please.''
Lake meanwhile went to approach Sugar and Mike. She was calm but firm. ''You know what? I don't know what you were planning on doing with this footage but it doesn't matter. You really need to hand it over.''
''Hand it over?'' Sugar squeaked. ''No way.'' She gently nudged Mike behind her, not wanting anyone to get to the camera in his hands when it had something obviously valuable on it. Morning after shots were what she had wanted but witnessing this, a teary lover's quarrel in public? Well this was so much better and juicier and automatic proof that the two were more than just acquaintances with each other.
Lake shook her head and faced off with the reporter. ''Yes way. Look this isn't a game and this isn't entertainment.''
Sugar tilted her head in consideration. ''I think this is the definition of entertainment.''
''For who?'' the supermodel questioned. ''How is showing two people in emotional distress entertainment? Like, what kind of sad person finds that enjoyable to watch?''
Lake who had her own weird issues with overly nosy press really seemed to take issue. There had been so many things written about her, so many of her own vulnerable moments had been not only exposed but mocked online for all to see. All of it of course driving her to a breaking point and forcing her to act out irrationally. It was why her people had insisted she and Santana play act like they were some hot new couple on the scene. Because the only way to make people forget a story was to create a new one, a more favorable one. But why, why should they have to play this game in the first place Lake had begun to wonder. She had never managed to stand up for herself with the press so now, presented with this situation she took it upon herself to stand up for Santana who was at the very least her friend if nothing else.
''We're not dolls and we're not toys and when someone closes a celebrity magazine or exits out of tab for a gossip blog, we don't cease to exist,'' Lake said. ''We have to go on living our real lives which people like you seem so eager to put under a microscope. Watching someone fall apart, watching someone cry, watching someone mess up and then laughing at them for it...that's not entertainment.''
''No one here is laughing,'' Sugar said.
''Maybe you're not and maybe he isn't,'' Lake tossed a nod off in Mike's direction. ''But the people at home who are going to watch this little video you just took, they will. And Santana...Brittany...they're going to have to live with that. I asked nicely but if you're not going to hand over that footage you need to be really sure what you're doing because that's going to be something you have to live with.''
With that Lake turned to see that Santana and Sam had walked off together a short distance away and looked to be heading back towards their tour bus. She started off in the same direction though she didn't look like she was in any rush to catch up to them. She lagged behind as Sam strolled with Santana and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder as they went.
Sugar and Mike relaxed once they were finally alone.
''I can't believe that just happened.'' Mike exhaled as he brought the camera down from his shoulder. ''What do we do now?''
He wasn't overjoyed with what had just went down in front of them, he really didn't want to hurt anyone, but he also knew how important this story was to Sugar and it looked like she had gotten everything she had wanted from it. It was all on his camera. Intrigue, sex, drama. He would've thought she would be celebrating and rushing them off back to their camper to upload the video and prepare her story to finally go live. But she wasn't. When he turned to look at her head on she wasn't smiling. There was nothing victorious or happy about her facial expression.
All he saw was a look of utter remorse as Lake's words seemed to sink into her head and heart.
X
The Dirty Pinks had followed Brittany as she silently cried all the way back to their tour bus.
All of them were at a loss as to what to say or do as Brittany climbed into her bunk and pulled the small privacy curtain around her. Quinn suggested to Dani and Tina that they just give her space and let her cry it out until she was ready to open up. The three of them spent the next couple of hours at the front half of the tour bus trying to occupy themselves.
Tina was playing on her phone and streaming her music through a bluetooth speaker they had set up on their flimsy little dining table. Quinn, meanwhile, was reading a book on their even more flimsy couch. As for Dani she was changing the strings on one of her guitars, twisting the tuning pegs to increase the tension. She was only half paying attention to what she was doing and ended up tightening one string way too much, making the silver wire pop off and whip her in the face.
''Dah! Fuck!'' Dani whimpered and pressed a hand to her cheek where the string had hit. Needless to say getting whipped by a too tight string hurt like a bitch. ''You know if we ever make it big I'm never changing my own strings again. This is why people have roadies or guitar techs!'' Giving up on the string changing process for the time being she tossed her instrument aside and kicked back in her seat.
Tina giggled at Dani's mishap and returned to her phone. ''So someone from the label emailed us.''
''What'd they say?'' asked Quinn, peeking her head out of her novel.
''That they want to conference call us tomorrow and talk options and opportunities, whatever that means,'' Tina answered as she scrolled. ''Seems they've noticed the uptick in our social media followers and overall presence. We're trending now so now the label wants to give us their attention.''
''This is just what we needed. Doing that song with Santana gave us some kind of edge,'' Dani added.
''Maybe it's for the best if we don't mention the Santana part of it all when we break all of this to Brittany,'' said Quinn.
''When exactly are we going to break it to her?'' Dani asked. ''She's been in her bunk alone for hours.''
''I don't think she's stopped crying since we got here, guys,'' Tina worried. ''I think it's time we talked to her.''
With a look of determination Quinn stood up and began walking to the rear of the bus where their small bunks were. Tina and Dani stood and followed after her. They were a band after all and there was no reason Quinn should have to go it alone to comfort Brittany who was still very much their leader.
With Dani and Tina at her sides and a step behind her Quinn gently pulled the curtain partition around Brittany's bunk back to reveal Brittany laying on her back. Her forearm was covering her eyes and her cheeks were wet from newly shed tears.
''Britt,'' Dani said softly.
''Are you okay?'' Tina asked.
''I'm fine,'' Brittany said with a sob stuck in her throat. ''I'm great.''
''Then why are you crying?'' asked Quinn.
''Because the Chainsmokers suck,'' Brittany shouted through her tears as she pulled her arm away from her face. ''Can someone please change this music?''
''Oh right sorry.'' Tina smiled awkward like as she brought her phone back out to skip the track. She forgot she was still streaming, she also forgot Brittany hated the Chainsmokers though she doubted that they were the cause for Brittany turning into a huge blubbery mess. In an uncomfortable coincidence however the next track on Tina's playlist was The Make's You Instead. The electronic intro filled the entire bus and soon Santana's voice was all around them. This of course only made Brittany's tears rush out harder and faster. Dani slapped Tina's phone in warning. ''What?!'' Tina hissed as she scrambled to exit out of the app. ''It was on shuffle! Sorry!''
Quinn shook her head and went to sit on Brittany's bunk near her legs. She placed a supportive, comforting hand on her. ''Britt. Maybe you should go talk to her.''
They all knew who the her in question was.
''Why?'' Brittany said with a sad little sigh. She wiped at her face and tried to compose herself enough to talk to her friends. "What's there to talk about? She lied to me. And maybe I should've expected that. I knew her for, what, a day? I put all of my hopes into this crazy idea that we could have a relationship after a single day. I mean how stupid was I?''
''You're not stupid,'' Tina insisted.
"You know I heard all the stories about her. I read all the stories about her,'' Brittany laughed pathetically. ''But when I was with her...I could've sworn it was like she was an entirely different person. Or at least I thought she was."
"Maybe she really is," Dani said.
''Look," Quinn spoke. "None of us are going to stand here and defend what she did because yeah it was a pretty dumbass thing to do, but do you really think she was pretending with you the entire night?''
''I don't know what to think.''
X
Nearby on the same lot, Santana and Sam were stewing in silence within their own tour bus. Lake, who had travelled with them to the festival for the sake of appearances, had went to the upper level of the bus in order to give them privacy.
Santana had stopped crying of course and now just looked devastated, totally emotionally drained. Sam, for his part, wasn't sure what to do but he was determined to be there for her in her time of need to make up for all of the pettiness he had thrown her way before. She was sitting down on their long spacious couch and he went down on his knees in front of her. He pulled out the handcuff key which he had made a grab for after Brittany had chunked it to the ground and began the process of getting Santana's cuff off of her.
Sam looked at her with sadness in his eyes. ''I'm sorry about what happened with Brittany.''
''It doesn't matter.''
''Yes it does. You really cared about her. I know you Santana. You've never acted this way over a girl before. Hell, I don't think I've ever seen you cry before. You care about her...and maybe, maybe there's a way to get her back.''
''Why? She's better off without me. She deserves better.'' Once her wrist was free Santana rubbed at it. It felt so strange not having Brittany by her side after so many hours together.
''She deserves someone who loves her.''
''She deserves someone who isn't going to hurt her and clearly, that's all I'm capable of doing.''
''I knew this whole handcuff business was going to come back to screw things over.''
''That wasn't your fault. It was mine.'' Santana wasn't going to put that on him when the entire thing was her doing. ''You told me about the key, this was my mistake, not yours.''
''You could tell her it was mine though,'' he suggested as he crawled up to sit beside her ''You could say I was being difficult and wouldn't give it to you or something and-''
''I'm not gonna lie to her again, Sam,'' Santana said. ''I get what you're trying to do here with me - be all encouraging - and that means a lot to me but it doesn't matter because me and Brittany? Whatever that was, I'm pretty sure it's over.''
''It doesn't have to be.''
''I don't think there's any talking my way out of this.''
''Maybe you can't talk your way out of it, but maybe there's a way to show her what you feel.''
''How exactly am I going to do that?''
Sam opened his mouth but nothing came out. He didn't exactly have any ideas.
And that's when someone knocked on the door of the tour bus.
''Were you expecting anyone?'' Sam asked.
Santana shook her head and went to open the door to see what the noise was about. Behind said door stood Elliott and his ragtag band of misfits.
It took her a few seconds to place where she knew them from. She and Brittany had crashed Elliott and his friends campfire hangout the previous night and offered autographs and selfies in exchange for food and drink. They had spent a good little while with the group, who it turned out was just starting out as a young and eager band themselves. At the end of their time together Santana had pulled Elliott aside and offered him a sort of deal which she had honestly forgotten all about until now when he and his crew were on her doorstep.
''I got it!'' Elliott exclaimed. ''What you asked for, we got it! It took us hours and me and my friends smell like garbage but we got it!''
''Got what?'' asked Sam who looked to Santana for clarification.
Elliott jumped in to explain to him. ''Santana asked me to find something for her and in exchange she'd invest a little seed money into our band.''
And then like it was the most valuable thing in the world Elliot opened his palm to reveal a guitar pick, but not just any guitar pick. This guitar pick had a cute fuzzy cartoon unicorn that happened to be farting an equally cute rainbow.
It was Brittany's guitar pick. She had somehow lost it during the barn rave.
''It took us awhile to find the barn but it was right where you'd said it'd be,'' Elliot continued to speak rapidly in excitement. ''It was empty by the time we got there and the entire floor was covered in trash and puddles of beer but we found it.''
''After three hours of crawling around on our hands and knees,'' Kitty added from behind him.
''So, we're still good right?'' Elliot asked Santana. ''The deal is still on?''
Santana took the pick between her to fingertips and nodded. ''The deal is still on.''
''How much is a little seed money exactly'' Sam asked, only to get no answer.
X
Not too far away in their less than glamorous camper Mike and Sugar were at the small fold up dining table where both of their laptops were set up.
They had them both open and were reviewing the very last of the footage they gotten. Mike only watched it all once before closing his out, it was way too uncomfortable and way too private for him. But Sugar found herself going over the last piece of video, of Brittany and Santana crying during their emotional exchange that saw a broken and betrayed looking Brittany walking away cuff free from Santana.
She kept clicking around, rewinding the scene from stop to start and back again. Zooming in on each of their faces in anguish, as Santana pleaded, as Brittany shook her head and let the tears fall freely.
This suddenly didn't feel like it was fun anymore to her. It felt real and it felt painful.
She had been so caught up in the possibility of breaking the story of a new hot celebrity couple in the music world, all she saw was the fun and the adventure and the possibility between them. But now, faced with footage of both Santana and Brittany in heartache and turmoil, it brought her no joy.
''I don't think I can use this,'' Sugar admitted as she hit pause on Brittany's face which was crumpled up mid-sob.
''Why?''
''Because I was wrong.''
''About them being in love with each other?''
''No, they're totally in love with each other. I was right about that,'' Sugar explained. ''If they weren't in love with each other I don't think they would've been crying over each other like this. This is...this is too much.''
''Let me get this straight after all of that running around yesterday, after virtually following the two of them around the entire festival grounds-you're giving up?'' Mike wasn't angry with his questioning, he was just completely confused by Sugar's sudden change of heart on all of this.
''I'm not giving up, I just don't think I can do this to them now at least not after seeing them both break down like that right in front of our camera.''
''So that's it then?'' he asked, a little relieved to hear her say that. ''We just delete our files and forget it ever happened.''
''I'm not sure yet,'' Sugar sighed. ''But I know I can't just out them as a couple without their consent now. One, because for all we know they might not even be a couple anymore after that and two, because it was totally entitled of me to think I should have any say in their private life. I report entertainment...and I get it now. If I want to dissect their songs or their shoes, that's my job. But...'' She tapped the screen. ''What they do when they're not on stage, it isn't for us. Because it's not entertainment. We're not entitled to see them - or any celebrity - like this when it isn't their choice.''
Mike smiled at her softly. He was glad to hear her come around to his way of thinking.
''Then what's the game plan now?''
''The game plan is we go back out and do what we came here to do. We still have a few interviews lined up for today and maybe we can get some B roll afterwards.''
''Can do,'' Mike said as he started prepping his camera.
''And as for this…'' Sugar once again tapped her laptop screen, touching Brittany's face. ''We'll figure out what to do with the footage later, if anything.''
They put away their computers, making sure they secured all of Brittany and Santana's video files and made sure they had all of their real equipment with them and then started out, hopping down from their camper and making their way back to the festival.
They kicked up dirt as they walked.
''I'm really proud of you, you know,'' Mike said.
''Why? I dragged you on a wild goose chase all day yesterday only to change my mind after the fact. You should be pissed.''
''Nah. Don't get me wrong I could've done without all of that running around last night but I think it taught me something. About connection and taking chances I mean. If you knew you could have one perfect amazing day with someone you cared about and wanted would you take it if you knew it was going to end in heartache after 24 hours?''
''Is this a serious question?''
''Yeah. It's made me think. And I think I would. If I knew that's all I would ever get I'd take one near perfect day with this special someone, even if it was going to end in my own tears. I would.''
Sugar grinned and cracked. ''Is this your way of telling me you have feelings for me?''
Mike playfully shoved her in a sibling like way. ''In your dreams, Motta. I'm being serious here. Would you take one day over nothing?''
Sugar tilted her head and considered this for a moment as the continued to stroll. ''I guess I would too, if I felt that kind of connection to someone and I knew there was a definite shelf life to the relationship, I'd still go for it. Most people don't even get one perfect day, you know. I want to believe that you have to put your heart out there even if in the end your heart just gets bitch slapped.''
Mike made a thoughtful noise in agreement with that statement. And then with a new found confidence he decided. ''If I see that cute bass player from The Dirty Pinks again...I think I'm gonna ask if she wants to grab a corndog or cotton candy with me.''
This pleased Sugar and seemed to really lighten her up. ''Get some, Chang!''
''Don't be gross.''
''Who's being gross? I'm being supportive!''
''Well be supportive all you want but whatever happens, promise me you won't get all weirdly hyper-fixated on my potential love connection.''
''Excuse your mouth, you would be lucky to have me as your personal fangirl and shipper.''
''Yeah yeah yeah whatever.''
X
Back on The Dirty Pinks tour bus there was a knock on the door.
Brittany was still sulking in her bunk, trying to wrap her head around what Santana did and if it was something she could move beyond. Dani and Tina meanwhile were both dealing with the influx of followers on their social media, they were scrolling through their phones liking fans tweets and occasionally replying to the sweet, supportive comments. This of course left Quinn to stand up and answer the knock.
On the other side of the door stood a man with slight facial hair who introduced himself as Elliott.
''I'm looking for Brittany,'' he said after his very brief introduction. He pulled out a plain white envelope. ''I have a delivery. I was told she'd be here.''
Quinn squinted. She wasn't sure what this was about but the guy looked harmless enough. ''She's busy but I'll be sure she gets it.'' Quinn attempted to take the envelope only to have Elliott pull it towards his chest.
''Sorry, I was given direct instructions to give this to Brittany and no one else.''
''What is it?''
''I can't say,'' said Elliott. ''All I can say is that it's important.''
Quinn turned her head to holler down towards the back of the bus. ''Brittany, there's somebody here for you.''
It took several moments but after gathering herself up Brittany came to the bus door. Her eyes were red and she definitely looked like she had seen better days.
''There you are,'' Elliott chirped. ''Remember me from last night?''
''Yeah. What are you doing here?'' Brittany asked, a little lost as to what was going on.
''I have something for you.''
He handed her the envelope Brittany which tore into it only to find the only thing inside the sealed envelope was a guitar pick.
Her guitar pick.
Her lucky unicorn guitar pick.
''How did you...who told you...where did you get this?'' Brittany asked, stunned and amazed. She thought she had lost it forever. ''I lost it in the middle of a rave.''
''Last night right before you and Santana left our campfire she pulled me aside,'' Elliott answered. ''She said that if I wanted some seed money for my band she had a job for us. She told me where the barn was and explained what your pick looked like. Santana said if we found it she'd pay us.''
''Pay you?'' asked Quinn.
''Yeah. We spent a few hours on the floor of that barn but we found it. We went and showed it to Santana, she paid us and then she told us to make sure it got back to you.''
Quinn gently took Brittany's pick and lifted it up to inspect for herself. ''Out of curiosity, how much did Santana pay you?''
''Five thousand dollars.''
''She what?'' Quinn squeaked. ''This pick cost like $1.50!''
''It's what she offered us last night,'' said Elliot. ''She dropped it into our account like thirty minutes ago. Hell, me and my friends would've probably done it for five hundred dollars. But this five grand is really gonna help us get our music off the ground. Santana's a really great person, you know.''
''And you said she asked you to do this last night?'' Brittany asked the man. ''Not this morning?''
''No, it was definitely last night at the campfire. She said this pick was really really important to you and because of that it was really important to her. She said money was no object.''
Brittany took back her guitar pick from Quinn and just stared down at the thing in contemplation. She was so lost in thought Quinn realized she was going to have to see Elliott off. She thanked him for finding Brittany's favorite, lucky pick and said she was looking forward to what he and his band did in the future and wished them luck. After their quick goodbye she shut the bus door and turned around to see Brittany still examining her own pick.
''I can't believe she did that,'' Brittany said.
''She dropped some major change for a single pick,'' Quinn noted, impressed.
''It's my lucky one,'' Brittany was obviously moved. ''I told her I never played a show without it.''
''You know…'' Quinn started gently, trying to play devil's advocate. ''If Santana had arranged all of this today I would say this was probably some last minute attempt to save face or win you back over but, the fact that Santana arranged this last night just because she wanted to do something for you…'' Quinn let the rest of her statement go unsaid.
If this truly had been all a game or a joke to Santana, then why would she go above and beyond to make sure Brittany was reunited with her favorite, lucky pick? Why would she even bother? And why would she do it when there was nothing in it for her?
Brittany swallowed as she digested the emotion and the affection behind Santana's not so small gesture, because she wanted to believe it had to mean something. Maybe it wasn't all a lie if, even after Brittany had rejected her, Santana still shelled out the cold hard cash to make sure the pick made its way back to Brittany's hands.
''I'm not saying you should forgive her but why don't you talk to her,'' Quinn suggested.
Brittany looked like she was a little more open to the idea now. ''Even if I wanted to, how, I don't exactly have her number.''
''I think Dani might be able to help you out with that.''
X
We're nearing the end, dear readers. Only a couple more chapters to go. I just want to thank everyone for going on this super silly ride with me so far. You all have no idea how encouraging it is to hear from you and know that someone else out there is digging what I'm putting out there. You guys rock.
As always you can come poke at me on tumblr. I'm yourstreetserenade. I have a picture of Brittany's guitar pick up if you want to see it, and trust me, you're gonna want to see it. It's so Brittany lol. Also! That whole Dani getting whipped in the face with a guitar string has happened to me. Like they say you're supposed to face away from the strings when you're changing them but 16 year old me was like 'I knows what I'm doing!' but then wham, I got smacked in the cheek and it hurt like a bitch. Ah, memories.