As much as I would like to own them, all the characters of Glee belong to Fox – I own nothing. All the characters of The Fast and the Furious belong to Universal Studios, I'm just borrowing some of them. All writing belongs to me.
My lovelies! It's over, no more Glee! Ok, so the finale wasn't that great – I think we can all agree on that, but what I will say is thank you to Naya and Heather for giving us the amazingness that is my/our otp Brittana and I will treasure it for the rest of my life. That being said I wrote a little one shot/drabble over and Tumblr and it's up on here too called 'Stupid Grin' so go and check it out if you need some fluff after the disappointment of the finale (really, you're gonna leave my pairing unfinished and give me just four seconds of the final episode?! Fuck you Glee!).
Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this update, we're just getting things started and as a special gift this chapter is super super long, either that or my writing program is telling me lies lol. Have fun and I will see you next week!
Thank you to everybody still following and reviewing, let's get this restitution plan on the road! I appreciate all the love and welcome to all my new followers etc.! :D
Santana yawned as she found herself slowly waking up. Rubbing at her eyes she spun her legs over the side of the bed and let her bare feet connect with the cold hard wood of the bedroom floor. Her vision gradually clearing of sleep she glanced out at the expanded view of the city's skyline, the sun just peaking up over the horizon. The clock on her bedside table it was 7am. She had an hour to get dressed and get over to the garage to meet the crew. Today was the day her plan truly got under-way. Deciding that there was no time to waste on top of not wanting to be late and keep the crew waiting she rubbed the last of the sleep from her eyes and headed over to her brand new closet which just so happened to be a walk-in and the biggest she'd ever had in her entire life – the perks of having a mansion-like house to herself. Stretching she let out another yawn and surveyed the clothes she had already moved in. Deciding to go simple and practical she pulled on a pair of jeans along with a t-shirt and her Converses, a watch to topping it off. Her outfit complete she grabbed a pair of sunglasses, her wallet and her car keys and headed towards the kitchen. Once she'd quickly finished a bowl of cereal she was already heading out the door as she slipped her sunglasses on, smiling when her car came into sight. Sliding in she strapped herself in and fired up the engine, already heading out the gate and onto the road.
When she arrived at the garage she was the first one there, not at all surprised. If she'd learnt one thing during her time with the crew it was that they weren't sticklers for being exactly on time, early or late. Pulling herself out of the car she proceeded to lean up against it, rolling her shoulder when she felt a slight ache. It wasn't back to full health but it was good enough that it wouldn't stop her from getting the job done. That being said she just hoped she didn't injure it again. This time she wouldn't be so lucky. This time the damage would be permanent. She was broken free from her haze when she heard the sound of engines and looked up to see the crew pulling up into the yard. As they parked up she remained where she was and waited until Letty approached her. Just as expected the Latina stepped out of her Plymouth and headed straight for her, pulling off her own pair of sunglasses on the way over.
"You ready to do this?"
Santana nodded. "Of course"
"Then lead the way, we'll follow you"
Santana nodded once more and got back into her car. Letty turned back to everyone else and they all got back into their own shared cars. With space to get out Santana pulled out onto the road first and when she was sure that they were all following her she led them to the parking garage where Roz and Matt would be waiting to meet them.
Roz and Matt had been discussing something to pass the time when they heard the sound of a car approaching. Looking up they watched as Santana's Nissan pulled in and parked up followed by Letty, Quinn, Marley and Dani. It looked like everybody was car sharing today. They watched as Santana proceeded to get out of her car and walk over to them with a smile on her face.
"Good morning Santana. You ready?" Roz asked as she watched her take her sunglasses off, hooking them on her jeans.
The Latina nodded. "As ready as I can be"
"Good. Hello everyone" The police chief greeted, getting a mixed round of hello's mumbled back in response. "Ok before we start where's Blaine?"
"Right there" Quinn piped up, everybody watching as he pulled up and parked his Porsche next to Dani's Ford.
When he'd joined the group Roz clapped her hands together. "Ok so I have three smokin' hot cars for you today courtesy of the Lima Police Department. The first of which is the actual flat-bed you'll be using to transport the car back on"
She turned to Matt and he walked over to the first tarp covered vehicle. Then as everybody watched him he pulled back the material covering it to reveal a modified Dodge truck which Roz proceeded to explain. "This is a Dodge 5500. Unique to our department it has been modified solely for the purpose of repo-ing cars of significant importance for and on any terrain. That being said it's a heavy duty off-road truck that's perfect for today's task. Matt, the last two?"
Nodding he turned back to the car in the middle and pulled away the tarp covering it to reveal a black Ford truck and then the one on the end which was exactly the same just orange in colour.
"Now these bad boys are 2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor's. These were given to us courtesy of my superiors for our case specifically. What that means is that you have these until the whole job is done and Cassandra's behind bars. They've been modified to specification exactly the same as one other and they're ready to go on tarmac or off-road."
"What about the Dodge? Do we keep that too?" Tina asked.
Roz nodded. "Yes, same with that as it is with the Ford trucks. They're all yours until this son of a bitch is closed."
"Nice" Letty said, nodding in appreciation as she looked over at the three vehicles. She took a few steps forward and with a glance to Santana and a barely there nod of confirmation from the younger Latina she proceeded to take charge. "Ok, so let's get this started. Quinn, Rachel, as you're the scout team you're taking the orange Raptor. Santana, Brittany, you'll be riding with them to the station. Dani, Blaine, you're delivery team so I want you in the black one. Me and Mia will ride with you to the station. Finally, Tina you're driving the Ram and Marley you'll be riding shotgun with her as co-pilot. We'll rendezvous with you when we're ready to dismount the car from the carriage. Everyone clear on their jobs?" Everybody nodded. "Ok then. You'll keep a lock on our cars here?" She asked turning to Roz and Matt.
"Of course" The police chief nodded. "I'll be watching until the moment you guys get back with the NSX"
"Good. Matt, we'll meet you when we're ready for clean up"
"You got it"
"Then let's get this shit started"
Ten minutes later and they were pulling up in the parking lot of the train station. They could already see the train waiting at the platform so with a goodbye to the people who had dropped them off and a wish of good luck all around the carriage team started making their way towards the main building. As Santana pulled her backpack full of equipment up onto her good shoulder she watched ahead as Letty linked hands with Mia, the Latina smiling at the sight of the couple walking in front of her. She couldn't help but sigh though.
"Hey, what's that sigh for?" Brittany asked, Santana not realising that they had fallen into step with each other a few feet behind the crew leader and her girlfriend.
"Oh, nothing"
"You're not having second thoughts about this are you?"
"No, of course not"
"Oh, it's just that you seemed so deep in thought"
Santana wasn't going to openly admit out loud to Brittany that she wished she could freely hold her hand like Letty and Mia could but that didn't stop her from internally screaming. She suddenly didn't feel as if she could do this friends thing...until Brittany linked her pinky with hers. She looked down in mixed shock and confusion to which the blonde just laughed.
"What are you doing?"
The question only made Brittany chuckle more. "Linking our pinkies, what else does it look like I'm doing?"
"But-"
"Just go with it Santana. I figured you could use some reassurance"
She didn't know exactly what Brittany meant by 'reassurance' but by the way the blonde momentarily glanced ahead to the couple in front of them she guessed she'd noticed how she had been looking at them. Even after all that had happened Brittany could always pick up on what she was thinking and she didn't know whether that was a good or a bad thing when it came to their new 'clean state' acquaintance. Deciding to just go with it she shrugged and let their fingers hook together a little more firmly, happy for the distraction as they made their way through the throngs of people and out towards the train which was still boarding. They followed Letty and Mia on-board and a few minutes later they were in their seats ready for the train to start moving. All they had to do now was wait.
"So, do you know what this car looks like?" Letty asked, looking at the woman sat across from her.
Santana nodded. "I know that according to the shipping manifest it's pearl orange in colour."
"And you know where it is?"
"No, just that it's near the middle"
"Then I hope for all our sakes we don't get killed looking for it"
"Me either"
A little while later with the trip well under way Letty got a call from Rachel. "Letty, it's the scout team"
"Go ahead Rach"
"We just hit the mile marker. Everything seems clear from here on out."
"Ok, keep an eye out and we'll start moving"
"Hearing you loud and clear. Good luck sis"
"You too hermana" Ending the call the Latina slipped the phone back into her jean pocket. "That was Rach, we just hit a mile. It's time to shine Santana. Lead the way."
Nodding Santana glanced over at Mia and then to Brittany who was sat next to her before getting up out of her seat. Brittany handed her her backpack and with a reaffirming nod to Letty she started heading in the direction of the end of the train. Now the plan was finally under-way. The train was abuzz with activity as people who got on at the Lima station were still getting settled. That made for a perfect guise allowing Santana to slip through the chaos as if she was one of them. Technically she was but she wasn't looking for her seat. She was looking for the end of the passenger carriages which would tell her that the remaining half of the train was cargo and the cars. She narrowly dodged a woman with a pushchair and smiled politely at her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry"
Santana waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it" She replied, glancing at the baby in her arms before continuing.
Her eyes flickering from one thing to the next she couldn't believe that people still weren't already in their seats and settled by now. They were probably over a good mile out of the city which gave them plenty of time but she guessed that they were all flustered. In a way that's how she needed it to be. She needed it to be chaotic in order for her to slip past the last hurdle – the dining carriage. On this particular train it was at the end of the passenger carriages and meant that there were two cargo trailers which were under lock and key. She had to get past this in order to get to a place where she and Letty could suit up with their equipment. That was easier said than done.
Now in that very carriage she took a look around and spotted an empty table near the very back where the door she had to get through was located. She sat down and made sure that she had a good view of the entire 'room' and pulled her phone from her pocket. Dialling a familiar number she waited for a reply. It picked up after the first ring.
"Ortiz"
"I'm in the dining carriage. You guys can start moving"
"Done"
The call ending Santana slipped her phone back into her pocket and proceeded to wait. If there was one thing she was good at it was waiting. Checking her watch it wasn't long before the first person arrived. She internally smiled uncontrollably when she saw Brittany approaching and as soon as the blonde sat down at the table next to her she started counting down once more. Like clockwork exactly five minutes later Mia arrived and joined both her and Brittany, leaving only Letty to appear and as expected as Santana counted down the last seconds of the third interval the older Latina appeared in the doorway of the carriage and approached them. Instead of sitting down she remained standing and looked over at Santana.
"You ready for the next part?"
"Yeah, we just need to get into the next carriage"
"You wanna go in first?"
"Yeah, of course"
"What did you have in mind to actually get in there?"
"Leave that to me and Britt"
Brittany frowned. "Huh?"
"Come on, I have an idea"
Brittany took the offered hand and shrugged at Mia and Letty before turning back to Santana. "Lead the way"
"I'll call you when the coast is clear"
Letty nodded over at the younger Latina and joined her girlfriend at the table they had been sat at. Santana on the other hand pulled Brittany towards the door and slipped through and towards the small bathroom.
"What's your plan?"
Santana watched through the window in the door to see someone with their back to them. They were stood by the door but luckily they didn't know that Brittany and Santana were watching them. Turning back to Brittany she shrugged.
"You ok to do a little bit of acting?"
It was a few beats before she answered, a smirk on her face. "Of course. What did you have in mind?"
"Hmm...it's like this..."
The person guarding the door spun around on their heels at the sound of a clear knocking. Frowning at the two people staring back at him he slid his key card through the door effectively opening it and did the same with the one Brittany and Santana were stood behind. Looking down at their conjoined hands Santana felt a squeeze from Brittany before looking back up at the guy who had taken a few steps towards them.
"Can I help you ladies?"
"Uh, yeah, it's kind of an emergency" Santana replied as she rubbed nervously at the back of her neck with her free hand.
"What kind of emergency?"
"Well, you see, my girlfriend's pregnant and we only just realised that we left something really important in our luggage and we need it right away"
"Ok, what is it?"
"My toiletries bag" Brittany answered for her.
"And you say it's an emergency?"
Santana nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty urgent"
"Ok then, I'll make an exception this time but next time please make sure that you have everything you need in your carry-on luggage ma'am."
"Oh, we will"
Nodding he turned back to the doors he'd just come through. "Follow me and we'll see if we can find your bags"
Santana and Brittany carefully walked behind him, neither one of them willing to let go of each other's hands. They couldn't explain why but it just felt right. That being said though it didn't take long for him to turn around and ask for their luggage number. By that point it was too late for him. Letting go of Brittany's hand Santana grabbed the front of his shirt and reared forwards, connecting her forehead with his in a vicious head-butt that lasted only a few short seconds. With the sheer force from Santana he was sent flying backwards and fell to the floor unconscious. Blinking her eyes in pain Santana reached up a hand to her head and hoped that injuring herself was worth it in the long run. That didn't stop Brittany from rushing to her side though.
"I thought you were going to put your arm around his neck and knock him out that way!"
Santana shrugged as Brittany came to a stop in front of her. "I was but I guess I just felt that this was the better option in the moment"
Without thinking Brittany stepped forwards, closing the distance between them, and pressed a kiss to her forehead which was already starting to turn bright red. Santana really wanted to let herself get lost in the feeling of the other woman's lips upon her skin but she knew that they had a job to do and right now was the worst possible time to be caught off guard, especially by a simple kiss (not that she didn't like it though). Suddenly stepping back and trying to hide her blush she quickly averted Brittany's attention away from her.
"Come on, it won't be long before he wakes up and we need to get suited up and outside"
Nodding in acknowledgement that it was time to get back to the job at hand Brittany helped pull the innocent guard towards some of the luggage, the two of them propping him up. With a phone call to Letty a few moments later Santana was letting the other two members of their small team into the secured carriage with the guard's key card. Letty threw her her backpack and Santana already got to work on kneeling down and pulling out their equipment.
"Nice work Lopez" Letty admired, her and Mia looking over at the passed out guard.
"You won't say that when you know what she did to knock him out" Brittany said, her arms crossed over her chest with a playful pout on her face.
"And what did she do?" Letty asked, turning back to look at Santana with a raised eyebrow.
When Santana didn't answer Brittany elaborated. "She head-butted him"
"And knocked him out with one hit?"
The blonde nodded at Mia's question. "Unfortunately yes"
The crew leader rolled her eyes. "It gonna affect the rest of the job?"
Santana looked up from where she was crouched on the floor. "Hell to the no. Growing up in Lima Heights Adjacent taught me one good thing in life, how to fight. I've head-butted plenty of ass holes, this was nothing compared to the other things I've done to people. That sounded wrong, what I mean to say is that what I had to do they didn't give me any other choice"
"Don't worry about it but it's good to know for future reference. You ready to start handing stuff around?"
"Of course. Here" Santana reached down into her bag and pulled out the first radio set, handing it up to Letty. When she saw Mia helping her girlfriend to wire up she guessed that she should to. Luckily for her Brittany already caught onto this train of thought.
"Hey, let me help you"
Santana looked up at the blonde who was holding out an expectant hand. "It's ok, I can do it myself"
Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Oh really, and that's going to buy us time?"
Deciding that the blonde was indeed right and that she didn't want to argue with her Santana stood up and handed her the radio and connected earpiece. "You win this one Pierce"
Brittany smiled victoriously and forcefully spun Santana around, already threading the wire down the back of her shirt. Brittany didn't miss the shiver as her hands brushed over the skin just below Santana's neck. The way that it ran through Santana's entire body, head to toe, she could tell that she was nervous and it wasn't just about this job. Santana was nervous for something else but instead of dwelling on it she decided to focus back on her task and finish what she was doing. Santana now placing the earpiece in her ear Brittany hooked it up securely to the radio that she had hooked on the Latina's belt. Once the wires were all out of the way, or at least out of sight for Santana's safety, she spun the other woman back around.
"Ok, my turn"
Santana nodded and knelt back down, picking out the two remaining earpieces and radios. She handed one to Letty who immediately got to work on wiring up Mia and then turned to Brittany. "You ready?"
Spinning around Brittany couldn't keep the smile out of her voice, the effect not lost on Santana. "Of course"
Rolling her eyes at the blonde's playfulness despite their current situation Santana reached forward and began to thread the wire down the back of the other woman's baseball raglan, unable to ignore how warm Brittany's skin felt to the touch as she secured the wire by her belt. Brittany could feel her nimble fingers adjusting the wire at her back and she was unable to stop the onslaught of thoughts that bombarded her of images of them in a situation with a lot less clothes, no train, and just the two of them alone. Luckily for her Santana's voice broke her free from all of her crazy thoughts. Or at least, the ones she thought were crazy.
"There, all done"
"Thank you"
Nodding at Brittany's thanks Santana looked over to Mia and Letty who were also ready. "Ok Lopez, what's next?"
"The final pieces of equipment for our belts: safety rope, carabiners and knives"
"What about the other stuff?"
"Dani and Blaine should be handing it to us as soon as we've found the right carriage"
"So throwing?"
"What other way could we do it?"
"None that I can think of. Let's get suited up with the remainder of the equipment and then we'll check to see if these radios work"
Nodding once again Santana knelt down and reached into her bag, handing out some of the remaining stuff that they would need. Once they had the rope attached to their waists along with their safety knives she reached in and pulled out four sets of gloves.
"Ok so me and Letty will work our way towards the right carriage and drill holes in each to check"
"And you've got said drill?"
"Right here" Santana reached down and pulled out the last piece of heavy equipment nestled in a custom thigh holster.
"And Britt and Mia?"
"Will be on top as lookouts. When Blaine and Dani arrive with the delivery system we'll apply it to the carriage connection and they'll hold us safe whilst it disconnects."
"And what about the back-up plan?"
"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that" Santana replied, clipping the drill holster securely to her leg and waist.
Letty nodded and pulled on her gloves. It wasn't going to be easy but she was damned if she wasn't going to get the job done. When they were all done, all of them having pulled on their gloves, Santana turned to Brittany and handed her the backpack.
"You keep this safe"
Brittany dipped her head in acknowledgement with a look of nothing but pure determination on her face as she took the bag. "With my life"
Despite the seriousness of the task she had given the blonde Santana couldn't help but smile. "Maybe not that far" She chuckled, internally scared for her life that Brittany was even going out there with them.
Catching the other woman's slight undertone of worry Brittany reached out and gripped her shoulder after she had clipped the straps of the bag into place over her chest, squeezing and sending her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry San, I'll be fine"
Deciding to let the name slip up pass Santana nodded and covered the hand with her own, smiling back at her. "We'll both be fine. All of us" She said, turning to both Mia and Letty in acknowledgement.
Before Letty could reply Brittany had pulled Santana into a bone crushing hug, her and Mia averting their gazes so that they could say goodbye a little more privately. It was spur of the moment but Brittany couldn't deny the way that it made her heart beat faster in her chest. When she pulled away, her blue eyes sparkling, Santana had never seen anything more beautiful. The urge to kiss her was more intense than ever but she decided against it, instead pulling Brittany back into her for a hug round two.
Across from them by the door Letty turned to Mia and smiled affectionately, a hand coming up to trace the other woman's jaw with her thumb. "You ok?"
"Yeah"
"Mia..."
"Are you sure that you are willing to do all this just to get me, of all people, a car? What if you fall Letty? What if this doesn't work and you get hurt?"
Letty shook her head and pulled her girlfriend to her by her jaw, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Calm down chica, you know that's not going to happen"
"Yeah but-"
"Shush, it's just nerves. You deserve this car, you do so much for all of us, so let us, especially me, do this for you ok?"
Sighing Mia pulled away to look up into Letty's eyes, nothing but seriousness and love staring back at her. "You know this is one of the reasons why I love you right?"
Letty laughed as her thumb traced back and forth, her eyes studying Mia's face carefully. "Of course, or else that ring wouldn't be on your finger"
Reminded of her promise ring Mia let a smile play across her lips as she surged forward, connecting them with the Latina's. If there was one thing that Letty knew how to do it was how to reassure her. When they pulled apart Letty spent a few moments studying the other woman's face before pulling away completely to look over at Santana and Brittany who had seemed to have finally finished their hug fest. Reaching up she flicked the small switch on the back of her earpiece.
"Testing, can anybody hear me?"
There was a few moments of static before they heard a familiar voice. "This is Rachel"
"Hey Rach. If anybody else can hear me check in"
Moments later they got a response. "This is Quinn checking in"
"This is Dani. Got you loud and clear boss"
"Same here. Blaine checking in"
"Tina checking in"
"Marley checking in"
"Ok with everybody accounted for we're gonna put phase one of the plan into motion. We're about to leave the carriage. You guys, can you hear me?" Mia, Santana and Brittany all nodded. "Ok. Dani, ETA?"
"We're five minutes out. Until then you'll have a blind spot on one side"
"Loud and clear. Scout team keep an eye on the one side that you can. The other will just have to wait until Dani catches up with the train"
"I'll do it"
Letty looked over at Santana and raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"I'll go up there and be on the blind side so that Rachel and Quinn can watch you."
"You sure?"
She nodded. "Of course"
"Ok then, let's move it people"
Santana didn't miss the brief look of worry flash across Brittany's face. Even though they weren't together she found it adorable how the blonde's brow crinkled in anxiousness. Santana was the one this time to place a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll be fine Britt, let's go"
With a renewed sense of purpose Brittany nodded, following Santana over to where Letty was ready to go. With a bow of acknowledgement at each other Letty and Santana opened the door with the guards key card and made their way outside to set the next phase of the plan in motion. Handing the card back to Mia Letty was the first one to start climbing. She pulled herself up onto the top of the carriage first and then with a look off in the distance she turned to look back down at Santana.
"The blind spot is to your left. You sure you still wanna do this?"
Santana nodded in determination. "Of course" She replied, already starting to climb. "Let's do this"
Letty smiled at her conviction, happy that her head was one hundred percent in the game. Steadying herself as she knelt down on the top of the first auto carriage she waited patiently as Santana climbed the rest of the way upwards, holding out a hand and helping her up. Once Brittany and Mia had joined them both Latina proceeded to start ahead and towards the end off the first auto carriage. This was going to be the hard part.
"Santana, I'm not seeing any hooks on the sides here" Letty said, glancing over the edge from where she was knelt.
"Me either"
"Then we're gonna have to run this son of a bitch"
"Letty!"
"Mia, it's ok. We've got this covered. S, you wanna run it at the same time?"
"In sync"
"Good, let's go. Mia, Britt, you follow after us. We're gonna need you to get us down to the carriage doors."
Before Mia and Brittany could reply Letty and Santana were sharing a mutual look of confirmation and with a slight nod at one another they were already sprinting off down to the other end of the carriage.
"Letty, what are you doing?!" Rachel screamed on the other end of the radio.
Letty didn't reply however, already turning towards the two other woman. "Mia, Britt, NOW!"
In a matter of moments they were repeating hers and Santana's actions and were sprinting down the carriage. Mia immediately latched onto Letty and Brittany without hesitation latched onto Santana.
"Dani's still nowhere in sight. S, you're gonna have to lower down without a spotter"
"It's fine. I've got Britt watching me from above" She smiled over at the blonde who smiled back, a little surprised that Santana was putting so much trust in her. Resolution plastering her features Santana could see that she had nothing to worry about. "You ready to do this?" She asked, turning back to the crew leader.
Letty nodded and held out a fist. "Let's get this done"
Santana fist bumped her and soon they were attaching their carabiners to the roof of the carriage and lowering themselves on the rope.
"Rach, you got me in sight?"
"Yeah, everyone but Santana. Dani wasn't kidding about that blind spot"
"I've got it Rachel" Santana answered back as she slowly lowered herself down.
"Ok"
"Rach, tell Quinn to keep it steady. This terrain could throw you off any second"
"I've got it covered Let, just make sure that you find that car fast" The blonde replied back, making sure to keep the pick-up that she was driving steady as Rachel kept an eye on the train that she was steadily keeping up with.
"Good, how's it coming S?"
Santana glanced over at Letty and then back to the carriage. "I'm about to start drilling now"
"Make it quick Santana, we need someone watching your side"
"Loud and clear Toretto. I've got this covered"
Mia couldn't help but worry as she watched the Latina put her life at risk to get this car for her. She made sure to remember to thank her if they made it out of this alive. All she could do now though was keep glancing up from where Quinn's orange Ford Raptor was nearly hugging the train and back down to her again to make sure that nothing could go wrong. Keeping an eye out checked. She was brought forth from her thoughts by her girlfriend.
"Anything?"
"No, it's not this one"
"Then let's get back up and onto the next. Dani, ETA!"
"The trains in sight. We'll be there in half a minute ready for the next carriage check"
"Good. Mia, Brittany, bring us up so we can move on"
In a matter of moments they were pulling themselves up with the help of the other two women and were back on top of the carriage. Going first again Santana and Letty took a running jump onto the next carriage and along to the end, turning and waiting for Mia and Brittany. Just as they reached the two Latina's Dani's voice sounded over the radio.
"Ok, I've got you. Hugging to the train now. Blaine's got the lookout"
"Good, keep it steady D. In the meantime let's crack this second one. Santana?"
"I'm ready"
"Then let's get to it"
A few minutes later and Santana was shaking her head over at the crew leader. "It's not this one either"
"Then let's keep this moving people. We've still got six left to check"
"Too many if you ask me"
"Keep it calm Dani, just focus back on scouting"
"Loud and clear boss"
They pulled themselves back up again and moved to the next carriage, Mia and Brittany following. That one was empty too. Well, it wasn't necessarily empty per say, but it didn't have the car in it that they were looking for. As a result Santana and Letty proceeded onto the next one. They had just got to the end of the forth carriage to check it when they heard Dani's voice over the radio once more.
"Carriage team, watch out. You might wanna hold on tight to something"
"What for?"
"A large bend in the track"
"How large?"
"She's not kidding Letty just hold on tight"
At the slightly panicked tone in Rachel's voice Letty did indeed grab on tightly to both the train and Santana, the other woman doing the same. That was until they heard a yelp. Both of their heads snapping up they found that only Mia had made it across, Brittany was only halfway when they hit the bend. Without thinking Santana had already let go of her tight grip on Letty and was sprinting back down the carriage as the train lurched to the left as they hit a huge right bend in the track.
"Lopez!"
Letty's plea fell on deaf ears as Santana sprinted down the roof of the carriage as if her life depended on it. All Letty could do was hold onto Mia tightly as she watched Santana race to save Brittany who was rapidly losing control. As if in the blink of an eye Santana felt her heart both race and then stop as she watched Brittany start to slip. She was battling with trying not to fall off herself, desperately taking any risk she could to get her faster to the blonde's side. It was as if nothing else in that moment mattered. Getting the car was no longer her main objective and neither was her safety. It was only Brittany. She was all that mattered and she was the only thing that Santana could see.
Hearing her scream she had split seconds to react and a yell tore from her throat as her arm flew out, grabbing hold of Brittany's hand before the blonde fell. She felt her own body start to slide down the side of the roof as Brittany dangled off the side, the only thing keeping her alive being Santana's grip on her arm. Her right arm to be exact. She was left handed but she was damned if she was going to let that stop her. The way Brittany's eyes were flooded with dread and worry she felt her heart break at the sight of pure fear. It sent a shiver through her entire body but she had little time to dwell as the other woman's grasp was quickly lessening around her own and slipping. She didn't have much time.
Down from beside them Dani frowned. "You got her Lopez? What's going on?!"
"Just keep the truck steady. We can try to catch her Santana!" Blaine yelled in response to his driver's comments.
Their voices in her ear were drowned out by the sound of Brittany and her own combined fear. Brittany was rapidly slipping from her grasp and closer towards the ground were she surely wouldn't make it. She had to end this now before the woman she loved was killed because of a plan she had come up with.
"Hold on Britt!" She yelled down, pulling with all of the strength that her weaker arm possessed.
In that moment Brittany had never feared so much for her life. She was on the verge of falling but the look that Santana gave her as she pulled at her arm told her that she wasn't going to give up, she never was. In that moment, even with everything that was going on, so close to death, she was sure she had never been so in love with another person. Santana wasn't giving up on her and she wasn't either.
"Santana!" Brittany cried up at her.
"Don't worry, I've got you Brittany! I'm not letting go!"
Yelling in pure exertion and determination she used her entire body to pull herself up, both her and Santana's combined strength enough to do what needed to be done. With one final powerful tug Santana pulled the blonde back up onto the top of the carriage, Brittany rolling right on top of her.
"S, you ok?" Letty called from down at the other end of the carriage.
"Yeah" She panted, Brittany still lying on top of her.
"Britt?"
"I'm fine"
Both Santana and Brittany heard a large round of cheers in their earpieces as they recovered, Brittany placing a kiss to her cheek in thanks. The brief moment of celebration didn't last for long though as they still had a job to do. Making a mental note in the back of her mind to apologize for risking Brittany's life later she took the blonde's hand tightly into her own and they made their way together towards Letty and Mia who were patiently waiting for them to join them so that they could complete their task.
"You guys ok?"
"We're good" Santana said, a smile adorning her lips as she looked over at a relieved Brittany.
"Yeah" The blonde smiled back. "We're good"
"Then let's do this so we can get off this death trap"
"I hear that loud and clear" Santana replied back, already hooking up her carabiner to the carriage. Minutes later she was looking back over at Letty who was dangling level with her and cursed. "Shit"
"What is it?"
"It's not in this carriage either"
"Fuck. Ok, next one people"
"Hurry it up guys, I don't know how much longer you can keep this up without one of you nearly falling off and dying." Rachel radioed.
"We've got it under control hermana. Just keep an eye out and we'll be fine"
"Ok, got it sis"
Rachel watched on from where she was sat riding shotgun next to Quinn as her girlfriend kept a steady control on the car as she kept up with the train. The determination on her face told her everything she needed to know – she wasn't going to let Letty fall, not if her life depended on it.
Back on the train Letty and Santana were already making their way along the top of the carriage to the end, Mia and Brittany quickly joining them so that they could help lower them down. Letty watched from where she was swinging as Santana quickly and carefully drilled another hole.
"Anything?"
Santana shook her head. "Nope. We've gotta move to the next one"
Nodding Letty steeled her gaze. "Five down, three to go"
Soon enough and without incident they were both back on top of the train and unhooked, running in sync to the end of the sixth carriage. Once the other two members of their small crew had joined them Letty scowled as she watched as Santana drilled yet another hole in yet another carriage.
"This shit's getting old Santana, what's the word on this one?" There was an unusual pause as Santana hesitated to reply. "Santana?"
A few moments passed as the other Latina remained silent before pulling away to look at Letty, unable to stop the smile from plastering across her face. "We've got it?"
"Yep, it's at the back at the other end of the carriage, a bright orange NSX"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it's unmissable."
"Then let's get this carriage disconnected before the train kills us"
"Word to that, let's go"
Nodding Letty looked back up at Mia and Brittany who both had relieved smiles on their faces. "Bring us back up girls so we can crack this baby apart"
With the car now located Letty and Santana ran back down to the other end, Brittany and Mia following suit once again.
"Ok, what now?"
Santana looked over at the crew leader. "We freeze it and break this fucker apart"
Letty grinned at the curse and bowed her head in agreement. "Then what are we waiting for?"
Santana smiled and turned around to locate Dani. "Ok Dani, you ready to deliver?"
"More than you know"
"Ok, me and Letty will lower down on the connection end and wait for Blaine"
"Sounds good to me. I'm moving closer now"
Santana turned back to Letty. "Let's go"
Not long later they were scaled down the side of the carriage, Mia and Brittany keeping a watchful eye on them from above as they readied themselves.
"Ok Blaine, we're ready"
"I'm moving in close now. Be ready to catch that bag Santana"
"I've got you Dani. One chance"
"Damn right so you'd better catch it"
"Duly noted"
"Hold on Santana, nearly there."
Santana turned her head to the left to see Blaine hanging out the window on the far side of the Raptor. They had one chance to get this right. It had to be perfect. Her gloved hands gripping at the bar ladder that lined one side of the carriage doors Santana lent outwards, Brittany holding her steady and tightly from above. She had to catch this and she was damned if she was going to fuck this up now. It had to be done and it was going to be done right.
"I'm not gonna reach you!" Blaine shouted across from her, his yell loud enough for her to hear over the train.
Santana lent outwards even further. "You're gonna have to throw it, I can't go any further without spinning around to side and pulling Brittany off the roof!"
"Hold on, I'm gonna try and move in closer!" Dani yelled through her earpiece. The black Raptor keeping up with the train moved even closer. "That's as far as I can go!"
"It's enough D! Blaine, throw the bag!"
In a heave of utter faith Blaine howled in a guttural manner as he lobbed the bag towards Santana. Stretching her arm outwards as fast as she could Santana caught the bag, her fingertips just managing to catch the edge of the straps. Brittany held on tightly from above her as she watched the Latina wrap said strap around her gloved hand. Santana groaned as the momentum of the catch slammed her into the metal of the carriage but she was kept relatively steady as Brittany refused to let her let go of the bag. Catching her breath as she moved back around next to Letty Santana looked up and smiled at Brittany.
"Thanks"
Brittany beamed back. "No problem"
Nodding Santana looked back down at the bag and then over at Letty. "You ready to break this thing free?"
"Fuck yeah"
Santana laughed as she started unzipping the bag. Now came the most crucial part – freeing the carriage. They had to get this right, they only had one chance to get it free. Their back up plan was way too dangerous, they had to do this without incident. Reaching into the bag Santana pulled out a tank and a nozzle, throwing it over to Letty then puling out an identical one of her own before handing the bag up to Mia. When she looked back down over to Letty she raised an eyebrow.
"Ready?"
"Hells yes"
Santana grinned just as Brittany called down to them. "Be careful guys"
The younger Latina looked back up at the blonde and smiled reassuringly as she held the small silver tank in her hands. "Always"
With a nod to each other the two Latina's looked down at the carriage hitch. "Spraying now"
At their crew leaders update the scout and delivery teams hugged close to the side of the train as her and Santana started spraying. It took about a minute, the combined power of the two tanks enough to freeze the connection between the two carriages quickly.
"We haven't got long before things start getting disrupted by the freezing. We have to break the thing thing now before we run into any problems"
"Loud and clear. Let's do this" Letty agreed, handing the canister up to Mia.
Waiting for a few more moments they waited until it was time. Santana looked up from her watch and over at the other woman. "And it's time. It should have completely froze by now"
"Ok on the count of three we jump. Nothing is gonna break this thing unless we both jump on it together"
"Got you"
"Three...two...one...jump!"
Both at the same time the two Latina's jumped forwards and landed squarely in the center of the connection. The carriages jerked a little bit at their combined force but it wasn't enough to break the connection. They had to try harder.
Letty looked up at Santana from where her own booted feet were resting atop the frozen metal. "On the count of three we jump again"
"What if it doesn't work?"
"Then we freeze the thing again and repeat the process"
Santana nodded in acknowledgement and with the help of Brittany and Mia they moved back to the side of the carriage that they had been on previously. With a shared look of understanding Letty counted down from three once again and they both jumped on the count, the two women putting all of their weight and force into trying to free the carriage hitch but it wasn't budging.
Moving back to the side again Letty looked up at Mia. "Mia, hand me the canister"
"Are you sure you wanna do this?"
"Chica, I've got no other choice. The hitch isn't brittle enough."
Mia knew that Letty knew what she was doing so she reached back into the bag that she had been clutching onto for dear life and handed the silver canister back down to her girlfriend. Santana then watched across from her as the crew leader proceeded to freeze the connection once more, silently praying inside that this worked and they didn't have to resort to plan B.
When she was done Letty handed the canister back up to Mia and then looked over at Santana once more. "Ok, you know what to do"
Mia and Brittany watched from above as the two Latina's used all of their might to try and break the weakened connection but their hard work wasn't rewarded when it stayed exactly where it was. They knew what came next and it wasn't something they were looking forward to. Coming back to the carriage and dangling down Letty looked across at the other woman.
"You know what we've gotta do"
"Are you sure?"
"S, that thing isn't gonna budge. We've gotta do something before we don't have a chance to free the carriage at all"
Sighing Santana nodded. "Ok, what do we do?"
"We rig this thing to detonate apart – it's our only option. You stay on this side, I'll move to the other."
"But you need to be on this side"
"Someone needs to help set the charge on the other side. Trust me, I'll be fine"
Before Santana could further protest Letty had freed her knife from her thigh holster and was sawing through the rope that Mia was at the end of.
"Letty!"
Looking up the Latina smiled at her girlfriend. "Mia, I'll be fine"
Mia had no chance to protest as Letty was jumping over to the other side, gripping at the metal bars that formed ladder-like parts either side of the auto carriage doors.
"Ok, let's rig this thing to blow"
Santana had no choice but to agree and looked up at Brittany. "You ready Britt?"
"Of course"
Without any further instruction the blonde reached up and unclipped the backpack she was still wearing from across her chest and slipped it off. She then handed it down to Santana carefully and the Latina immediately got to work on pulling out the last and most dangerous part of equipment that they possessed. It was a last resort and she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't afraid of it. In all honesty it scared the shit out of her just holding it. It could blow her and everyone around her up so she had to make sure she set this right. Roz had given both her and Letty a basic understanding of how to set it off but she told them only to use it if it came down to the very last way they could physically get the carriage free. She had hoped with everything she had that it wouldn't have had to come down to this, had held out hope that there was a good chance that they could free it with both of their strength combined but as per usual in her life it didn't go the way she wanted it to. Instead it was going to be an ass-hole and make her work extra hard for it. That meant rigging this thing to blow apart without blowing herself up in the process.
"Ok the C4 is armed. We've only got a minute to get clear or we're all gonna blow up. Britt, help me up"
Brittany happily pulled Santana up as fast as she could knowing that time was of the essence. The package below them was small but if they didn't get clear in time it could do some major damage and Santana would rather not be back in the hospital any time soon. When she was knelt in between Brittany and Mia she looked over at Letty.
"Letty, come on, you need to get over here!"
"There's no time! Stay where you are!"
"No, I won't leave you!"
"I've got it covered S, just have a little faith"
Before she could reply their attentions were drawn to the C4 package. The timer beeped and they could see that they now had less than twenty seconds.
"Move back"
"But Santana-"
"Mia, go! Move back, I've got Letty"
With a look to Brittany the blonde understood and with a barely there nod she immediately started pulling Mia back along the carriage roof, her arm firmly around her shoulder. Moments later the explosion rocked the carriage that they were on (the one with the car in) and as expected the carriage connection down below finally broke apart. Looking up Santana saw Letty stood on the other side of the train, knowing that once the space grew too wide there would be no chance of getting back across. Somewhere from behind her she heard Mia scream.
"LETTY!"
Everything seemed to crash into slow motion, unaware of the world around them as the explosion rocked the train and the carriage that Letty was on. On either side of said train the scout and delivery teams watched with baited breath as above them time seemed to rapidly run out. Seconds remained as Letty's chance rapidly disappeared right in front of them, all of them internally screaming as she made no move to even attempt to escape the train that was swiftly pulling away with every breadth of a second that ticked by. Quinn and Dani made it their goal to stay right alongside the train, the two Raptor's keeping up beautifully as they tackled the rough terrain of the desert landscape in an attempt to be the safety net that their leader needed.
In a split second Mia's voice rung out again. "LETTY!"
It was the kick Letty needed, having bided her time on purpose until the needle in a haystack opportunity presented itself to her. She had to wait until it was there and she only had one chance to take it. Too soon and she would have overshot, knocking Santana and then probably the both of them off the side of the carriage. Having paid attention to the decreasing momentum of the trailer that the others were on she knew that if she waited too long she wouldn't make the gap at all. It was all about timing. She knew this behind the wheel better than anyone but she also knew that it applied to situations like this, situations where it was everything, where it was the crucial line between keeping yourself alive or killing yourself. That being said she saw the split second opportunity and took it.
Santana and the others watched as Letty took a running jump off the end of the train carriage, everything else seeming to freeze in the moment. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she let her body fly through the hot air surrounding the recently exploded connection, the wind stinging her eyes as she took that leap of faith. It had been stupid to wait but she knew that she had to take that chance. She couldn't not. She had to get it right and she was proved right when her hand met Santana's outstretched one, the other woman holding on tightly as she had done when Brittany had been hanging off the side of the train not that long ago.
Santana grunted and groused in strength and pain as she used both of her arms to hold on tightly to the woman she had once called her crew leader. Just like with Brittany she wasn't letting go. She held on as tightly as she could and when Brittany joined her by her side the blonde helped her pull the older Latina up as the carriage slowly came to a stop. The two Raptor's that had been hugging the side of the moving train like barnacles on the hull of a boat also came to a stop, dust flying up in thick sheets as they still kept an eye on the four women on the train. Their job wasn't done until they all had their feet planted firmly on the desert floor, Santana included. When they had come to a stop and Letty pulled herself to her feet Mia cried out and immediately engulfed her in a bone crushing hug.
"Estoy bien amor. Estoy bien amor"
"Don't do that to me ever again!"
Santana and Brittany watched the couple a few feet away and happily placed their arms around each others shoulders, the two of them letting out relieved laughs as they caught their breaths. Soon enough they were pulling each other into a tight hug as the two teams below them got out of their trucks.
"Everybody ok?"
"Yeah D. Radio back to Tina and Marley and let them know we're ready to unload this car"
"Loud and clear boss"
Letty turned back to Mia and pecked her lips before placing a comforting kiss to her forehead. She'd played that one just a little bit too close for comfort and she knew she'd have hell to pay for it later.
"Come on, let's get off this damn thing" She announced once she pulled away, her eyes never once leaving Mia's.
Santana helped Brittany down and followed as Letty radioed Tina. "T, what's your ETA?"
"About five to ten minutes. We should be there soon though"
"Good, keep up the pace, we're on the home stretch. Santana, call Matt"
"Already on it boss"
Brittany watched as Santana moved clear of the carriage, pulling her phone from her pocket and dialling Matt's number from memory. After the second ring he picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey Matt, it's me"
"Is everything ok?"
"Yeah, the carriage is disconnected. Tina and Marley are on their way ready for unloading so you can start getting out here"
"Will do. We'll follow the train tracks"
"Ok, I'll see you soon"
Just as she was about to hang up Matt called out to her. "Santana!"
"Yeah?"
"You're ok?"
She smiled at his brotherly concern. "Yes, I'm fine. I'll see you when you get here"
She hung up the phone and turned to see Letty the last one to get off the carriage. The Latina approached her and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you"
"No problem"
When Letty pulled away Mia moved over to her and beamed at her before pulling her into a hug too. "Thank you Santana"
"Don't thank me yet, my job's not done until this car is safely locked up in the storage garage"
Mia nodded and pulled away, still smiling at her. The hardest part of the job now done she couldn't help but let her excitement take over. She was soon going to lay her eyes on the car that would change everything.
When Tina finally pulled up she found the doors of the carriage now fully open and the crew waiting patiently for her and Marley.
"So we're here, what's next?" She asked as she stepped out of the cab.
"We find a way to get to get to the NSX"
Tina raised an eyebrow at her leader. "Where is it?"
"Right at the back" Quinn elaborated. "Santana crawled in to check just a minute ago"
"That I did"
"So what are we waiting for?" Marley cut in.
Letty shook her head. "Nothing, let's go. Santana, Dani, Marley, Quinn, over here with me. Rachel, Brittany, Mia, Blaine, Tina get the equipment ready. We need to get this first car off without damaging it."
Half an hour later and they had two other cars unloaded and moved off to the side. Up above on the top level inside the carriage Santana and Dani worked to secure the car. They had to strap it up and then with the help of the modified truck they were ready to pull it out. Nodding over at Dani Santana called to Letty.
"Ok, we're ready."
"I'm sending up Quinn and Blaine. Keep it steady and we'll watch it from down here"
"Loud and clear"
The two women waited for Blaine and Quinn to get into the carriage and once they had a handle on the front of the car they called back down and Letty gave Tina that go ahead. Slowly the car started moving with the help of a high powered winch and all four of them helped guide it towards the open end of the trailer. As soon as the front tires bumped the front of the specially made ramp now came the most critical part of the unloading process. They had to get it down this ramp without losing complete control, i.e. they couldn't let it roll down it. If that happened there was a good chance it was going to over the side and crash down to the desert floor below and all of their hard work up to the current point would all be for nothing. But they weren't going to let that happen. Instead, by the grace of God they all worked together and with the utmost care and attention they got it safely down out of the carriage and onto the back of the flat-bed.
Santana looked over at Letty. "We've gotta get this strapped down and secure and covered."
"Then back to the storage garage?"
"Can we take it back to our garage?"
Letty turned to the woman next to her. "You sure Mia?"
The shorter brunette nodded and looked over at Santana. "Yeah, I wanna get a look at it if Santana's up for that? I could use her eyes on it"
There was a brief pause where Letty's gaze flickered from Santana to Mia and then back again before she nodded and unfolded her arms. "Of course chica. Let's go Lopez"
"On it"
With the help of Quinn and Mia the NSX was soon strapped down and just being covered as Matt arrived with some other officers. The crew tensed momentarily at the sight of three police marked pick-up trucks but relaxed when Matt stepped out and started approaching them. He walked over to Santana first and pulled her in for a bro hug before pulling away.
"So you guys did it?"
Santana nodded as she glanced over at the crew who were all looking at them. "Yep, we did"
"Ok then, we'll clean this up here and I'll call you later"
"Cool"
"Now that's settled I guess we'd better get our asses out of here. Me and Mia will ride back to the storage garage with Dani and Blaine and Santana and Brittany you'll be back with Quinn and Rachel. Marley, throw me the keys to your Camaro and I'll drive it back to the garage for you whilst Mia drives my Plymouth back. Everybody clear?" When she got a round of nods she clapped her hands together. "Then let's go home."
She caught Marley's keys and smiled over at the other woman, sending her an understanding nod that she would take care of her car with the utmost care. It was understood that no one could bring any harm to it except her considering that ninety nine percent of the time after every race she had to get Quinn to patch up the body work. Still, she was protective of it and it was something that Letty understood. That's why she had offered to drive it back. Having trust in Mia driving her car back safely only served to help the fact.
Everybody loaded into their cars Matt watched as they pulled away, Quinn crossing the tracks and following behind Dani's Raptor as they headed back to the city. Looking back at the disconnected train carriage he really wished he'd been there to see it.
The sun was setting over the city of Lima later that day as Santana ducked her head into her car, reaching over to the passenger side where her backpack rested. She pulled it back out with her and reached inside it, pulling out a button up and tugging it on over her t-shirt. She felt pride surge through her chest as she wore it in public for the fist time since she'd gotten back to Lima. The royal blue and black mix of the shirt was something she had come to respect and take pride in in her eight years away, the garage that it belonged to having given her so much. It brought back memories of her time away, of working in that particular garage and making a name and respectable reputation for herself, and now wearing it outside of her small garage she couldn't help but feel like she was showing off a little. It wasn't selfish it was more like proving that she had built up over time a respected reputation and it felt good to show the crew a little bit of her history that they didn't know about her, the real Santana Lopez. She still had her Hummel garage shirt back at her abuela's house and she hadn't worn it since before she had got shot but she knew that it was wrong to pull it on now when they'd only just got their first car. Instead she was happy to wear a little piece of her history. Call her crazy for being so sentimental but for a street racer like her having a garage shirt showing where you worked was all a part of the lifestyle.
Buttoning up the final button but making sure to leave the top one undone she smoothed out the bottom of the shirt before throwing her backpack back onto the passenger seat, turning and then heading over to the door of the garage where Letty and Mia along with the rest of the crew were waiting.
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Letty asked, ignoring her curiosity that had peaked at the sight of Santana's professional pit crew-looking garage shirt that had her name embroidered just above the left breast pocket.
Santana nodded. "Yep, I've gotta be on top of the performance of these cars or else they won't be ready in time for when Race Wars rolls around."
"Fair enough. Mia, you sure you wanna stick around here?"
The younger woman nodded. "Yes, it's my car. Plus I figured Santana could use the help"
"You're sure you don't wanna have a couple drinks with us at Kitty's?"
"No, I'm good. I'd rather be here helping Santana"
Knowing that Mia wasn't budging Letty relented and lent forwards, placing a kiss to her forehead. "Ok then. Come on guys, let's go"
Both Mia and Santana watched as Letty made her way out into the yard and towards her Plymouth before she stopped mid-way and turned to look at both women. "Oh, and Santana?"
"Yeah?"
"Good work today"
Letting a smile cross her lips Santana blushed a little. "Thanks"
Letty then got in her car and pulled out onto the road followed by Marley. Across the yard Brittany caught her eyes and after the blonde flashed her a smile she slid into Dani's ford and was taken away. She watched as the others left and when they were all gone she turned to Mia. "You ready to do this?"
Mia nodded as she turned to the bright orange NSX. "As ready as I'll ever be"
"Ok then, let's pop the hood and really get a look at where we're at performance-wise."
"Lead the way"
"Seriously though, that body kit would have Quinn horrified." Mia laughed as she and Santana poured over Holly's catalogue.
"Hmm, but you have to admit it would be funny to see her face though when you go to her about installing it for you."
"Oh yeah, I will admit that. It would be hilarious. Can you imagine it?"
"Definitely although I wouldn't want to encounter her wrath though"
"Me either. Those Fabray death eyes could actually kill somebody one day. I wouldn't wanna test that theory though."
"Neither would I"
"Seriously though, it would horrify her and I kinda want this car to look good for Race Wars."
"That's understandable. Did you like any of these body kits?"
Mia shrugged from her place beside her on the worn-out couch. "I do but they're all..."
"Lacking?" She grinned.
The smaller brunette nodded, a grin of her own on her face. "Yes"
"It's understandable though. When I did my research I looked for possible styling options and for such a popular car you'd think there would be more kits that are made for it"
"I know right?"
"What I did think though was that maybe we'd have to step outside of the box"
"How?"
"Well, considering that you've got your car first we could go for a body kit that we'd have to order in whilst we do all the internal work."
"I'm listening..."
"Say you didn't go for any of these 'typical' body kits – I've seen one that's only cropped up a couple times and isn't really all that well known. It's a FX-TA1 widebody kit. It wouldn't be a problem for Quinn to install."
"Have you got a picture?"
"Of course" Santana reached forwards and picked up her laptop from where it had been resting on a small crate that they had been using as a temporary coffee/work table. She clicked around a few times and then turned the screen towards Mia.
"Oh wow"
"I know. What do you think?"
"I think that's the one"
"You do?"
"Of course. It's the best we've seen all night."
"Alright then. I know the kit is the front and back bumpers along with the side skirts but the wing would stay stock unless you wanna add one of your own"
Mia looked up from Santana's screen and then over to the car where she studied the stock spoiler. She then turned back to Santana. "It's gotta go"
The Latina grinned. "Ok then, what spoiler do you want?"
"Something that's not so..."
"Small?" She finished for her.
Mia nodded. "Yeah."
"Then you want a race wing to make it look more intimidating"
"Just what I was thinking"
"Then hold on a sec" A few silent moments later and a few clicks and Santana was turning the screen to her once again. "You could go for a wing that is connected to the two sides of the lights or you could have a custom made bracket that Quinn could install in the middle and have the two wing struts right beside each other."
"The ones that are next to the lights look so out of place. I think asking Quinn to make a custom bracket in the middle would be better"
"Makes it look like a track car doesn't it?"
"Yeah, perfect for Race Wars"
"And perfect on the street too. It would rip up the road."
"It will rip up the road"
"Calm down Toretto, I don't doubt that for a minute" She laughed, Mia joining her.
"Well, once the upgrading is done it will"
"And I will make sure that it is perfect for when that day comes" The mood sobered between them as they both looked at the car they had acquired. Mia smiled at the car and then turned back to the Latina. "Seriously though, thank you"
Santana shrugged. "It's ok, we've only just scraped the tip of the iceberg"
"I know but tank you, I mean it. It means a lot that you would actually go to such great lengths to get me a car. It was the most ambitious one to get. If you haven't noticed I'm not really as involved in the driving as the others"
"Yeah but it doesn't make you any less deserving of it. Mia, I got you this car because I knew that you'd be the only one able to put it though it's paces. I have no doubt that when it's finished and you're driving it through those gates into Race Wars you will decimate anybody you go up against in it. There is no doubt in my mind that you can handle yourself behind the wheel of this car"
There was a pregnant pause in the conversation where Mia took the time to take in just what Santana had said. She admits that she wasn't that great behind the wheel but even though it came from Santana she had no doubt that she could actually do it.
"And think about it this way," Santana continued. "You do so much for the crew already organizing-wise. You deserve it so much."
Before she could brace herself Mia was pulling her into a tight hug. "Thank you for doing so much just to get me a car" She whispered.
Placing her arms warily around the other woman she slowly relaxed into the embrace, not that Mia minded waiting, and hugged her back.
"No problem Mia"
Santana smiled as she walked out of the main living area and towards the pool, propping the door open on the way so that she could hear her music pumping from the sound system. She was happy that she could enjoy it as loud as she wanted and not get yelled at to turn it down, especially since it was her favourite hip hop music. That being said she was taking every available opportunity to do so. Now was no exception. She'd spent a few hours with Mia and they'd worked out a plan of action on what to do with her car so all that they'd have to do is talk it over with the rest of the crew and their varying areas of expertise. In the meantime Mia had text Letty and decided to join her girlfriend at Kitty's for at least one drink that night. Santana on the other hand had decided to head home. Having called her grandmother on the way home she had ended up talking to her for an hour before eventually hanging up and by now it was ten in the evening. She'd pulled on a pair of sweatpants in exchange for her jeans, let her hair down and slipped on her glasses and decided to give into her inner love for hip hop and pulled on her favourite pair of black and grey Nike's. Now completely relaxed she had decided to sit down in front of the pool whilst she listened to some good music and finish up the evaluation on Mia's NSX and the events of the day as a whole.
Brittany smiled at the crew from her seat at the bar as they celebrated. They were all happy that they'd gotten away from that train relatively unharmed but alive and Brittany was happy too but there was something bugging her. She didn't know exactly what it was but she knew ever since she'd left Santana at the garage that something didn't feel right. The one thing she did know for sure it was that she wasn't in the partying mood. She'd almost fell off a train but she'd survived and that should have been reason enough to live it up but something was eating at her and she knew that she couldn't stay in this bar a minute later. The atmosphere was starting to choke her and she had to get out but she knew she didn't have a car – Dani had driven her here. Luckily for her though Kitty had seen her distress and sucked her from her thoughts, holding out her keys.
"Here"
Her brow crinkled in confusion. "But-"
"Your heart's not in it tonight and you want to leave, I'm not blind Britt. Plus you've hardly touched your drink so I know you can get behind the wheel. Go on, if I need to get somewhere I can just take Dani's GT"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes" She smiled. "Now go and take a drive and clear your head"
A grin broke out on Brittany's face and she beamed over at Kitty as she took the offered keys. "Thank you, you're the best Kitty!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just go before Dani finds out I let you take my car"
Without a second thought Brittany pulled her into an awkwardly positioned hug across the counter and then practically ran out of the bar. Kitty only rolled her eyes at her friend's sudden change in mood and grabbed the rag from her back pocket proceeding to wipe down the bar as a slightly tipsy Dani starting approaching.
Outside Brittany spotted the TT not that far away from the front door of the bar and unlocked it to get inside. Once strapped into the seats she admired her crews handy work for a few moments before starting up the new car's boosted engine and pulling onto the street. At first she just enjoyed simply driving around, no music and the sound of just the engine soothing her. It was similar to that day she had driven to the beach and she was thankful for the way that the car soothed her. It reached deep down inside of her and temporarily allowed her to forget everything going on around her and every confusing emotion that she was feeling.
She took a deep breath as her fingers curled around the steering wheel, studying the way the neon lights of downtown rolled over the car like they were liquid. A deep breath in and she took in the smell of new car. Rolling down the window she could now smell the night air as she drove north, not quite knowing just where she was going. She let her body do the work and before she knew it she was heading to the last place she thought she would end up. She didn't know why but she couldn't stop herself. Before she knew it she was pulling up into the large driveway of the hilltop house, seeing the golden Nissan 350Z parked by the gate that led inside. She parked up to the side of the driveway and got out of Kitty's TT, locking it and pocketing the keys. She didn't even need to take a few steps towards the gate to hear the hip hop music pumping loudly from all the way inside the house.
...You know that paper my passion
Bittersweet celebrations, I know I can't change what happened
I can't help it, I can't help it, I was young and I was selfish
I made every woman feel like she was mine and no one else's
And now you hate me, stop pretendin', stop that frontin', I can't take it
Girl don't treat me like a stranger, girl you know I seen you naked...
Taking a breath in she let her feet carry her towards the gate and finding it unlocked she slipped in and the sight she found had her smiling without her consent. Sat on the steps leading down to the pool, the same very steps that they had kissed on a week before, was Santana. Her glasses on she was pouring over paperwork, the case file open next to her as every few seconds she scribbled something down in her notebook. Even after everything that had happened that day she was still working. It only served to make her realise just how much work Santana was actually putting into this plan and getting it done. From where she was stood, still masked by the shadows she watched as Santana rolled her shoulder, her free hand coming up to rub at the joint. It wasn't hard to tell that her arm hurt and she'd probably overworked it after today. It wasn't exactly the perfect example of 'taking it easy'. Her gunshot hurt and she could tell in the way the Latina winced as she rubbed at it.
Yet Brittany didn't have the heart to move. She was too enraptured in the other woman and being assaulted by confusion and emotion at the same time. She didn't know why she was here, she unconsciously directed herself there and now she didn't know what to do. A part of her was telling herself to leave and Santana would never be the wiser that she was actually there but there was also a part of her that was telling her to step into the light and let the other woman know she was there. She felt like a stalker stood in the shadows watching Santana work, taking in how she scribbled every few moments and then took a sip from her mug that was nestled on the step next to her. The way the water of the pool reflected up and sparkled in the lenses of her glasses...
We had the type of nights where morning comes too soon
And nothing was the same
Watch me, going out of the way
When I should've went home
Only time of the day I get to spend on my own
I was trippin' off how I used to sleep at ya crib
Should drive by right where you live, and pick you up on the way...
The changing of the music snapped her out of her confused daze, the previous song having come to an end and going to the next one in Santana's playlist. That's when she had her mind made up. Without thinking it completely through she stepped into the light and started walking over the bridge over the pool, smiling shyly and biting her lip as Santana looked up in surprise at the sound of booted footsteps.
"Britt?" She questioned, looking up at the other woman in confusion from where she was sat.
"Hey Santana"
Taking in the other woman's nervous demeanour Santana deduced that she wasn't drunk (considering that she knew she should have been celebrating with the rest of the crew at Kitty's right about now). "Hey. Why aren't you at Kitty's?"
"I left"
"I can see that but I thought you were celebrating with the rest of the crew?"
"I was but it felt wrong"
"Uh, how?" She asked, slipping the notebook from her lap and placing it down next to the case file to her left. She patted the space next to her and picked up her mug, cradling it in her hands.
Taking the offered seat Brittany sighed. "I almost died today"
"Yeah, but you're alive. Why aren't you celebrating that?"
"The bar was suffocating me. It felt wrong"
"It felt wrong?"
Brittany nodded. "Yeah"
"Britt, I'm not following. I don't understand"
Shaking her head Brittany didn't understand either. "Neither do I, I just know that it felt wrong."
Her head snapped up when she felt Santana's hand squeeze her shoulder. "Whatever it is, I don't know why you came to me but I'm here for you Britt"
Unable to stop herself she leaned in and let her head rest against the Latina's shoulder. Much to her surprise Santana didn't pull away, instead letting her hand slide across her shoulder blades and come to rest around her right shoulder. Taking it as a sign that Santana wasn't going to pull away any time soon she let herself melt into the embrace much more than before, Santana's warmth naturally radiating onto her and soothing and calming her down. She had so many confusing and conflicting emotions right now, including ones about the Latina, but everything seemed to melt away as if none of it mattered. She had only ever got that feeling before when she was driving. Somehow Santana was the only person that had ever seemed to cause the same affect without having to be driven, as weird as that sounded. Still she wasn't up for trying to decipher her emotions right now, she would rather focus on the feeling of Santana's arm around her shoulders holding her close. Even if they weren't together they had agreed to be friends and right now she needed Santana's comfort, friendly or something more, to help calm her down.
"Santana?"
"Yeah?"
She lifted her head up from the Latina's shirt-clad shoulder and lent forward, pressing a kiss to the soft skin of her cheek. It lingered for longer than necessary but Santana didn't seem to mind. After another beat of silence she pulled away as a small smile crept onto her lips.
"Thank you" She whispered, not quite sure on what else to say. Even with everything that had happened between them Santana had saved her life today and her words were failing her.
In return Santana smiled back, her eyes meeting hers as they simply stared at each other. Her mug now gone from her hand she reached up her brace-clad arm and brushed some of Brittany's bangs away from her eyes, her grin growing tenfold when she caught sight of the bright blue pupils staring right back at her. Her hand lingered on her cheek, simply resting, before it slowly started trailing down to come to a rest at her jaw. Breaths mingling they remained inches apart before they slowly started drifting closer and closer until there was nothing but an inch left between their lips.
Not willing to stop it on either end they let their mouths touch slowly and deeply, Santana's hand coming to rest on the back of her neck as her fingers weaved in between stray strands of blonde hair that had managed to come free from Brittany's ponytail. Seconds passed like minutes and then hours as they moved back and forth as if they had never been apart. It wasn't lust and it wasn't need that drove it, it was something else that neither one of them was willing to touch but what they were willing to admit as they continued to revel in the feeling of kissing one another is that they didn't want to label or force it. That's why when they did eventually pull away, both of their eyes opening for the first time since their lips had initially touched, they smiled at one another before Brittany let her head come to rest on Santana's shoulder once more as her arm came up to rest around her shoulder again.
The mood seemed to relax tenfold as she nestled her head into Santana's neck and when she felt a kiss to the top of her head she couldn't help but smile. "Thank you Santana." It came out as barely a whisper but she knew that being so close to one another Santana had heard it with perfect clarity.
"No problem Britt"
Songs used: Drake – 'Furthest Thing' / 'Come Thru'
TBC