Fast Lane Chapter 51: Security, a glee fanfic

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.

I cannot tell you guys how long I've waited for this chapter to be actually written and posted for the world to read. Being one of the original plot points all the way at the beginning of the story, it stuck and now here it is all these chapters later. I will tell you now, regardless of what people may think regarding the fact that this is emotion-heavy, it has a special place in my heart and has to be one of my favourite chapters of the story – to write and to read. Anyway, I'll let you get to it. If you're in for the long haul – 13,000+ words to be exact – then I hope you enjoy! (Also, I tried a new pov for the first time, I hope you like it – it's the only time I'm doing it in this story).

(Bonus points to anybody who gets my Dragon Age reference buried in this chapter).

Today in Fast Lane...

Santana wakes up to an empty bed and a suspicious note. She knows better than to just leave it be, especially when it concerns Brittany...

Thank you to everybody (hopefully) still reading at this point, I hope you enjoy this, what I like to call: colossal chapter of plot and feels. Have fun! I hope to see you tomorrow for update six of six! :D

(P.S. I'll mention the one of the song names, which is also the chapter name, now and at the end of the chapter so you guys have a heads up because I recommend you listen to it whilst reading this chapter – prepare for the feels!)

(P.P.S. – Joss Stone 'Security')

A thick dense fog covered the city of Lima like a blanket as Santana slowly but gradually woke up, her eyes fluttering open as they adjusted to the light after a deep and long night's sleep. She stretched and turned her head to look at Brittany only to be met with an empty space. In all of the months since they had gotten back together they had not spent one single night apart from one another and especially not a single morning either. This only set off red flags in Santana's head. Frowning she felt the bedsheets, the material cold to the touch. Now she was concerned, at least enough to get her up and out of bed to see if Brittany somewhere else in the house, which would be the most logical answer right now. Pulling herself into a sitting position, her legs dangling over the edge of the bed, she stretched her arms high above her head, letting out a loud yawn that ended with a slight groan as her shoulder scar protested. Wincing she rubbed at it with her right hand in an attempt to soothe it as she stood up, Lord Tubbington already circling her feet with a loud purr.

"Hey hombrecito. Where's momma huh?" She cooed, heading towards the bedroom door with her girlfriend's cat in tow.

She called out Brittany's name but got no response as she searched the house. It wasn't until she reached the kitchen that she actually found something. She stopped at the breakfast bar where there was a food container and a thermos waiting with a small note on top. Santana took the note into her hands to read as Lord Tubbington hopped up onto the stool closest to her, the cat still purring loudly.

"San, if you're reading this that means you must finally be up. I can't really tell you what's going on right now other than it's related to that thing I mentioned the other night, the thing I needed to do on my own. That's why I'm not there. I've never had to do this for someone before but now I have a girlfriend I owe you that much to let you know I'm not hurt or in trouble. Please don't come looking for me, I just...I need to be alone, at least for now. Just head to work and I'll see you tonight when you get home. Give Lord Tubbington a big kiss from me and I'll see you later, love Brittany xxx. (P.S. There is breakfast in the container and coffee in the thermos so you don't have to burn down our lovely home whilst I'm not there xxx)." Santana read aloud, her frown only intensifying. Dropping the note to the counter she turned to Lord Tubbington who was sat patiently waiting looking up at her.

"Where do you think she's gone LT? I may not know where she is but I do know one thing for sure, she's upset. That's enough for me to drop everything and find her don't you think?" She looked down at him and got a cat hum-like sound of approval as she proceeded to scratch his head. "Yeah, let's go find momma LT. First I have to get dressed. Let's go."

Ten minutes later she had the bed made and was just finishing getting changed. She was on her side of the bed lent over lacing up her favourite pair of Vans. Briefly the thought of this is what it was like all those months ago before she'd made up with her girlfriend crossed her mind. It was deja vu almost, even though being alone all those months it was like she'd forgotten how it felt. That was how good it had been with Brittany and now here she was, alone, tying up her shoes after waking up by herself, thoughts pounding through her head at a mile a minute about what Brittany could possibly be up to. She had been acting strange since she'd come back from practice that Sunday with Quinn, Rachel, and Mia and now she'd disappeared before she'd even woken up. This was unlike Brittany and not something she'd ever seen coming. She was confused and she couldn't figure out for the life of her why the blonde woman she loved so much would just up and leave without at least kissing her goodbye with a brief explanation to her face. It just wasn't like her. Usually she'd be the one to wake Santana up with kisses to her neck and face, the blonde telling her that morning kisses were the best as it started her day of just right being able to kiss the woman she loved. That's why it didn't make sense and the fact that it was so unlike her caused the confusion to turn into worry which seeped in faster than she'd like to admit. She felt dread drop into the pit of her stomach as she sat up and grabbed her phone from the night-stand. Checking that she had no new messages she quickly formed a plan in her head before the worry consumed her completely. She had to stay cool. That started with a visit to a certain brunette best friend.

Lord Tubbington followed her back into the kitchen and deciding not to let the fact that breakfast had been made for her go to waste she picked up the food container and the thermos of what she believed was coffee, heading towards the front door of the house. Remembering something she quickly made a detour back to the bedroom, grabbed what she had forgotten, and made her way outside.

"Ok Lord T. I'm gonna go look for momma. I'll be back as soon as I can, love you hombrecito." She got a meow in response as she locked the front door, heading over the bridge that lead to the steel gate.

Once she reached it and passed through she locked it behind her and placed the food container along with the thermos on the roof of of her Supra along with her garage shirt which she had dashed back to the bedroom to collect in case when she found Brittany they went back to work for the rest of the day. That being said she couldn't see it but she'd rather be safe than sorry. Unlocking her car she glanced around and spotted her girlfriend's signature RX8 missing from it's spot next to her Supra and knew that she at least had her car but that also meant that she could be anywhere. Still, trying to remain calm she needed to go and see Rachel. She was the next best source of information (other than her little sister of course) as to where she would be able to find said drift queen. So, transferring the various items off the roof of her car she placed them in the passenger seat (minus the coffee of course – it had it's own cup holder) and strapped herself in. Once that was done she fired up the Supra and drove down the driveway and out onto the road, heading in the direction of the garage.

Santana pulled into the yard behind Dani's Ford GT and got out, pocketing her keys into the back pocket of her jeans as she approached the open door where she could hear a heavy hip-hop song pumping out loudly. Despite her current situation she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she watched Quinn and Dani singing along with perfect timing.

'...I'm so fly, I'm so ferry and the way I flow is very
Ginsu or machete, way my pencil move his deadly
Platinum band, platinum bezzie, make a straight girl outta' lezzie
Magazine, mac, benzie keep my windows like the prezzie

Press a button than I'm stunting, my roof look like it's ducking
Meter go 200 something and my trunk do when it's bumping
I am not the one for jumping I will rachet out and stump him
Dump him, your better off dead, ya money red

I'm fresh, I'm fly, I'm always high
Got your bitch waving at me when I roll by
I'm calm, I'm cool, everything brand new
I don't handcuff, you can get the whole damn crew

Beamer, Benz or Bentley
Beamer, Benz or Bentley
Beamer, Benz or Bentley
My jeans are never empty, bitch
Beamer, Benz or Bentley
Beamer, Benz or Bentley
Beamer, Benz or Bentley
This scheming don't affect me...'

She laughed as they continued but her reason for being there (which would have only been work the night before) rushed back to the forefront of her mind. Her eyes scanned the garage from where Quinn and Dani were detailing the R35 and spotted Rachel not that far away working on what looked like something for the dashboard she and Brittany had picked out for the BRZ. Having spotted her target she made a beeline straight for her.

"Hey Rach."

The smaller brunette looked up and smiled at her friend. "Hey Santana, where's Brittany?"

"That's actually what I was gonna ask you."

Rachel frowned, momentarily pausing what she was doing. "What do you mean?"

"This morning when I woke up she wasn't anywhere to be found. She left me a note, breakfast, and told me to go to work and she'd be back when I got home tonight. I don't know what to do. She's been acting strangely since Sunday night when you guys got back from practice and I'm worried."

There was a brief pause between the two of them, Rachel seeing the worry clearly written across Santana's face. As she racked her own brain for any solution it was then that something clicked. "Nothing strange happened at practice. I think I might have an idea though..."

"Ok...?"

Rachel sighed. "Every year Brittany disappears for a day. She usually asks Letty for the day off and we see her the next day back to her usual self. I always assumed it was something personal, like something for Finn as she considered him an older brother but we never questioned it. Things like that we don't. We all have our days when we need some alone time, especially with the pressures of street racing."

"And she does this every year?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, I think so, like I go and visit Finn on his anniversary. That's what I assumed Brittany was doing, but in her own way you know? Finn's anniversary isn't until next week though."

This time it was Santana's turn to frown. "Maybe it is something personal. I'm still worried though. Do you have any idea where she could of gone?"

"I assumed it was to drift, that's what she usually does when she wants to take her mind off things. She could be somewhere near Breadstix. Even you know they're some of the best roads, other than the canyons that is."

Another pause settled between them before Santana nodded. She placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder and smiled warmly. "Thanks for telling me about Finn. I'll make sure to visit him, if that's alright with you?"

It was a welcome break from the conversation and Rachel nodded, reaching up to cover Santana's hand with her own. "I appreciate it, thank you. Maybe we could go together? I'm sure he'd be happy to finally meet you."

"I'd like that."

"Ok then, you think you know where she is?"

Santana nodded. "I have an idea."

"Let me know when you find her."

"I will. Can you tell Letty I went to look for her?"

"Sure, be safe Santana."

"I will."

Smiling at one another Santana then removed her hand and started walking out of the garage, Quinn calling after her.

"S, where are you going?"

"To find Britt. I'll see you guys later."

"Ok."

As Santana walked away back to her Supra Dani turned to Quinn. "How come she gets to play hooky from work?"

As Marley passed her she slapped her around the head with an oily rag that she had previously tucked into the back pocket of her jeans. "Because she deserves it Harper. You need to earn it."

Quinn laughed and winked at Marley as Dani grumbled and got back to work. "Fuck you guys, I've so totally earned a day off from work."

"What was that?" Quinn grinned.

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought."

"Fuck you Quinn."

Santana did have an idea of where her girlfriend could have gotten to and now she was taking a short road trip just out of town. If there was one place the blonde was going to be she was going to be here, or at least, that's what she thought. The drive out of Lima seemed longer than it should have been and it only allowed for her thoughts to evolve into something greater than worry. It had gotten to the point where she was starting to feel dread. It was funny, she'd never felt this way before but then again she'd never been in love with someone before. It settled in her stomach uneasily and she hated how it made her feel. Then another thought crossed her mind. Maybe this is what Brittany had felt the day she got shot, before she had told her everything in that crowded hospital room in front of everybody. She would admit that she was probably better than most when it came to keeping these feelings hidden out of sight (other than her anger that is) but when it came to Brittany she was helpless. She was barely holding it together as she drove the long winding roads down out of the south of Lima, her emotions threatening to boil over at any moment. She just wanted this to end as soon as possible but she had to find Brittany first, then she could worry. She had to find her ok and in one piece or else she really would lose it.

She passed Breadstix, not seeing her car in the parking lot but that wasn't the place she had in mind, it was somewhere else at little further on. She continued south around the next set of winding bends and curves of the high canyon until she reached her destination. By now the fog was even thicker than before as she pulled into the parking lot of the lookout point she been to so many times before. Usually when she did it meant it was time for serious talks, or at least ones that concerned her future in some way. Her eyes had spotted the familiar blue RX8 before she even pulled in and she backed into the empty parking spot beside it. Getting out she could see Brittany sat in the driver's seat, relief flooding her body at the sight of the blonde ok but worry still pooling in her stomach when she saw the look on her face through the barely fogged up windows. As rain started spitting at a rapidly growing pace Santana made her way around the front of the drift car to the passenger side, sliding in. The atmosphere was tense as they both waited for the other to say something and break the ice but luckily for them it was Santana, her worry winning out.

"Britt...are you ok?"

The silence continued to strangle them before Brittany finally responded. "I'm fine."

"Physically yes, I can see that, but you're not in your mind. I can tell something's wrong."

"I knew you would come looking for me and I knew you'd probably find me. I just didn't know when."

"I was worried, can you blame a girl? You left a note, breakfast, and a reason for me to worry. Of course I'd come looking."

Brittany finally turned to her, the saddest look Santana had ever seen plastered across her face, other than the day she got shot of course. "I...I didn't know what to do San." She croaked, her voice breaking as tears threatened to consume her voice completely. Santana had never seen her look so broken.

Reaching across the center console Santana took one of her hands into her own, her thumb caressing her knuckles soothingly back and forth. "What do you mean? Have you done something bad? Do you need help?"

"No, I've not done something bad." She sniffled. "It's just..."

"You know you can tell me Britt, you know that's what I'm here for."

By now Brittany could both see and hear the rain falling heavily outside the car, her windows starting to fog up to the point where you could still just see out of them. She didn't know how to respond but she tried – for Santana. "I've always tried to deal with this alone but every time it just comes back to haunt me and I don't know what to do about it."

"Is it something I can help with?" Santana asked, sensing it was something she was fighting within her mind.

"I don't know San, I don't know." It was then that every wall she'd built up just broke, everything flooding outwards as a sob ripped from her lips. Santana had her in her arms in seconds.

"Hey, shhhhh, it's ok, I've got you Britt."

All she got in response was a sob which reverberated through her chest, making Santana's heart ache knowing that the only thing she could do to help her right now was by simply holding her and rocking her back and forth. It wasn't until a good twenty minutes later (which felt like two hours to Santana) that Brittany's sobs finally subsided enough that the only noise she was letting out were loud sniffles. Sensing that what had been on Brittany's mind had temporarily gone for the moment Santana pulled away and wiped at her eyes with her thumbs, kissing the blonde on her warm forehead as the rain now pounded down hard on the car and the windows had fogged to the point where they could barely see outside.

"I don't know what's wrong, or even if I can help, but whatever it is Britt, I'm not going to force you to tell me. I know you come here to think, and that's probably what I'm assuming you do every year according to Rachel. If you want me to just sit here and hold you I will until you feel ok again or if you want me to I'll even sing to you. Hell, I'll do anything you want as long as it makes you feel at least a little bit better. I won't deny that you had me worried though. I couldn't find you anywhere and your note didn't help the knots in my stomach."

Pulling away Brittany smiled at her girlfriend and reached up to cup her face. "I'm so lucky to have a girlfriend like you." She smiled sadly, pulling Santana into a soft kiss that lasted a few quiet moments before she pulled way and rested their foreheads together. "...So lucky that now I finally feel like I might be able to get this out. Despite what I said the other day you proved that I won't be able to keep this from you and maybe I do finally need to get it out to someone other than myself. I just..."

"Don't know how?" Santana finished for her. Brittany nodded in response. "Maybe I can help with that."

"You can?"

Santana nodded. "Yeah but that starts with maybe not here."

Brittany frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe in your car in the rain isn't the most...comfortable place to talk about this, if that's what you want I mean, we don't have to but maybe somewhere not that far from here where we can be face to face and away from everybody else that might interrupt us...?"

Brittany nodded. "Ok."

Santana smiled and pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Are you sure?"

The other woman nodded again. "Yes. I think I know where you mean."

"Are you ok to drive?"

"Yes. It's not too far."

"Ok. I'll drive ahead in front. I love you Britt."

The blonde smiled sadly and pulled her in for another kiss. "I love you too."

Santana then got out of the car and dashed back into the Supra through the lashing rain. Firing up the engine she drove to the entrance of the parking lot, happy that Brittany was already following behind her. Whatever waited for them emotionally at their next destination she was going to handle to the best of her ability, for Brittany's sake. She knew it wasn't going to be easy but you could never stop Santana Lopez when she was determined, it was practically impossible.

The Herald's Rest Inn. A quaint little inn perched atop a high rocky cliff where the rough waves of the sea lapped down far below. It wouldn't have been Santana's first choice to build an inn of all places and she still couldn't figure out for the life of her why it was called Herald's Rest but she wasn't complaining. She and Brittany both loved it for it's disconnection from their everyday lives. It was quiet, there were few people, and it was a place to escape to when the rest of the crew became too much (surprisingly). Still, here they were again and she was looking forward to the seclusion with just her and Brittany. She wanted to get to the bottom of her girlfriend's sadness and this was the perfect place to do it.

Once out of her car she grabbed her backpack out of the trunk (which she kept in there on workdays in case she needed a spare change of clothes) and locked it up. Brittany had parked next to her and once the RX8 was locked up too she pressed a kiss to her cheek and held out her hand. "You ready?"

Brittany nodded and took the offered hand. "Yes."

Ten minutes later and Brittany found herself in the same position as the last time they were here, her palm flat against the glass of the sliding door as she once again let the atmosphere of the small but cozy room settle her. Her breath quickly fogged up the glass like it had in her car and she could see the rain continuing to fall heavily outside, the sound of it hitting the window pane hard and the waves far below crashing up against the cliffside harshly. She smiled despite the nasty weather outside when she felt familiar arms come up and slide around her waist from behind, Santana resting her head on her shoulder as she covered the Latina's hands with her own.

"You ok?"

Brittany sighed with a nod, looking down at the calloused tanned hands. "A little better now we're here."

"Good. You want to join me on the bed?"

Brittany nodded again, letting Santana lead the way over to the bed. She helped the blonde take off her shoes and her hoodie and then proceeded to remove her own jacket and shoes, placing them on the chair by the window along with Brittany's. She took her hand and smiled softly.

"Pick however you wanna sit, whichever is the most comfortable."

Brittany did just so, directing Santana to sit in the center with her legs sprawled outwards facing the headboard. Brittany then situated herself on her lap, wrapping her legs around her waist tightly.

"It's ok to touch me Santana." She said after a few quiet moments. "I'm not going to break."

This time it was Santana's turn to blush, not sure in some aspects if she was overstepping Brittany's personal space but given their current position on the bed with one another she guessed Brittany was somewhat ok with it so she wrapped her arms instinctively around her waist, pulling her closer. Brittany's arms came up to wrap around her neck as she replied.

"Sorry."

"Don't be." The blonde responded, pulling her in for a kiss. "I know you're not sure what to do. I'm not either but I feel safe like this."

"You do?"

Brittany nodded, playing with the stray hairs at the back of Santana's neck. "I do. You make me feel safe."

"That's good to know." She smiled, pressing a short but soft kiss to Brittany's lips. "But where do you want to start?"

Brittany shrugged. "I guess from what today actually means to me."

"Whatever makes you feel comfortable."

There was a comfortable respite between them, Brittany taking a moment to gather her thoughts as she prepared to tell someone other than herself for the very first time what made her the woman she was today. It never came easy, even when she was thinking about it, but when do things like this ever come less than complex? It boggled her brain still to this very day and she was having trouble figuring out where to start. Until Santana started rubbing both sides of her hips with her thumbs soothingly. She felt herself relax, something she hadn't thought possible in this situation but Santana had a way of uncoiling her without her permission. Right now despite the surprise it was welcome, she needed it, she needed the comfort. As it flooded into her she started seeing pictures of her past flash cross her mind, parts of her life even the crew didn't know about. She was thankful that Santana wasn't pushing her, remaining comfortably quiet as she let out a quiet breath of air as her mind stuck upon one particular memory.

"His name was Joe. I met him senior year. I'd been hanging around with the crew but I wasn't considered a member, I just did it for fun – as you know. So, when the crew were off hanging out and I had free time I was out driving for the way it made me feel. Back then the thrill of having my own car threw me out onto the different roads of Lima and I just drove. I drove for hours, sometimes taking in the view and sometimes simply fast. It was then that I discovered the canyon roads surrounding the city. I'd heard whispers and faint words about how they were dangerous and only used for serious races to settle differences but I didn't really see why they couldn't be used for something other than to scare newcomers. That's where I found my freedom. At first I just drove down them, each and every one, trying to get a feeling for how each uniquely bended and curved downhill, the road cut raw into the canyon face. Then I started getting faster and faster. I felt a thrill that normal racing just couldn't give me. I then kept pushing until I started sliding. Cheesy sounding I know but that's what happened. I liked it and I knew that if I could at least make myself better than everybody else they wouldn't think of me as the shy wannabe-racer that hung out with Letty's crew – the dumb blonde with no skills. I then made my decision. I started training myself. One night I stopped at Breadstix to have dinner after school when I came across a group of guys and women in the parking lot afterwards. They were laughing at me and my car but there was one who just smiled at me. He told them to stop and approached me. It wasn't intimidating or anything, he just smiled. All he did was smile..."

"Hey, is this your car?"

I smiled and nodded, a little shaken up by the fact that I was being approached by a complete and total stranger in the of a parking lot practically in the middle of nowhere. "My only one."

He smiled at me again, this time wider and took another look at the RX8. "Pretty car. I'm guessing you don't just drive it for the looks huh?" He guessed, motioning to the added body-kit and the extra aesthetic add-ons that the crew had helped me install recently.

"Nope."

"So you're a girl that drives for the sake of driving. I like that. If you don't mind me asking, where are you planning on heading after this?"

I shrugged, not quite sure if telling him was the best idea but something about him told me I could trust him. It made me uncomfortable but the feeling in my gut told me otherwise. I lifted up a hand and scratched the back of my neck nervously. "The canyon roads not far from here."

He grinned in response and a warm wave coursed through my chest, something about him setting me at ease despite my earlier nerves. "Are you up for some racing?"

It took a few moments before I snapped out of my haze to arguing coming from behind him – one of his friends.

"What?! Joe, you can't be serious! We don't race with newbies! Especially ones who don't know the first thing about drifting!"

The man I now knew as Joe shook his head and chuckled. "You were all newbies once, just like her."

"You know what man? Whatever, I'm out of here."

The Asian man pushed the people who were lent up against his car away and got in. Moments later the blue and silver Nissan 350Z was pulling out of the parking lot and down the road out of sight. Joe turned back to me but continued to address them.

"Are you guys in or what?"

I looked over his shoulder to see the two women nodding along with the only other guy. When Joe got silence in response he knew their answer and grinned at me once more.

"You up for some drifting?"

Without hesitation or really thinking I nodded and smiled at him. "Yes."

"Ok then, follow us."

"What happened after that? Where did you go?"

Brittany just shrugged. "After that night we just drove. I followed them out of the parking lot and never looked back. I felt a sense of freedom as I drove with them. The guy who called Joe out never came back and I took his place. They didn't care that I wasn't as good as them on the first try but it wasn't long before Joe was offering me lessons. I took the chance and he taught me everything he knew about drifting, from how to angle my car the right way to what brand of suspension coil springs I should be using."

"Wow, he was that precise?"

Brittany nodded, playing with Santana's t-shirt. "Yep. Joe knew everything there was to know about sliding your car. You know, he once told me that as long as you knew how to drift, you didn't need speed to win a race."

"And he was right."

"He was. It's never let me down."

"Britt, I'm sensing something else. What is it?"

Brittany sighed, trying to figure out in her mind how she was going to say it before actually voicing it out loud. "Joe was something else to me, more than just a crew leader. He was like a the big brother I never had. His crew was like a family to me. We were really close."

"But not like..."

Brittany scrunched up her face with a chuckle, relieving some of the tension in the room. "Oh no, not like that."

"Sorry, I-"

"It's ok, I understand. The way I was talking about him I'm not surprised you asked me that. A lot of people did think we were together though. However, we'd always brush it off. He was dating one of the other crew members."

"What happened to them?"

"After what happened they all went their separate ways, me included. I went back to Letty's crew and we never talked again."

"I don't know how to really ask this, but what happened Britt?"

Brittany sighed and then took a large steadying breath in. This was the moment when she spoke those words out loud, when she couldn't take them back. It was scary but the comfort she was getting from Santana was enough to have her thinking twice about keeping it in. She had to do it now, it was about time.

"After he took me on I just practised and practised on the canyon roads I'd first found until I was good enough, at least in his eyes. We'd been training for this big drift competition down in the tri-city area for months. Joe finally felt I was good enough to be a part of his crew to compete and he told me that if I won the competition I'd be in. So, we decided to do some warm ups. You know, a few races here and there so that we were ready. Much like right now coming up to Race Wars. One night we had a race in one of the canyons down here near Breadstix. It was dark, foggy and the roads were slick – not the best conditions for a drift race. Joe could handle it though, he was practically the best. He picked me to race with him and we went up against two other racers. I didn't know who they were but I knew they were local. We started the race off just fine and it was a challenge to keep ourselves on the road around the tight bends..."

Once again I was fighting for third place. Joe was up ahead in first as usual, where he belonged, and here I was stuck trying to get rid of this guy next to me who as fighting me every single step of the way. I wish he'd just give up, I was getting tired of fighting him to stay safely on the road. It was dangerous enough as it was with the fog. Add traffic and the need for a tight inside line and it was a disaster waiting to happen, or rather it was already happening. It took everything Joe had taught me to just stay on the road. This guy wasn't helping. I growled as I came dangerously close to going through the guard rail as he threw me off wide, taking the inside line for himself. It took me a few moments to get the car under control and by the time I had snapped the RX8 back into place safely he had taken third.

"Bullshit."

The true danger of this kind of race became all too real however when the car who had taken third dangerously slid from one turn to the next, going way too fast in this weather. He hit the guard rail with the back of his car twice, making it essential for me that I react fast so as to not fall through and over the side because of his stupid mistake. He was going crazy and I knew I had to make sure that I used what I knew to beat him, not by speed but by skill. That's when I kicked it into high gear. Not physically, obviously, but figuratively. I used every last word Joe had spoken to me during my training sessions to gain an advantage, using my slides to outmanoeuvre him.

Finally I broke free and that's when hell broke free along with it. I watched from the road behind as Joe initiated a slide to go around a particularly tight corner, his opponent right next to him. It was as if time slowed down, everything halting to a crawl of a pace as I watched what happened next. Instead of his usual perfect control as he fought off his attacker the rear end of his green Silvia snapped violently to the right, much further out than he should ever have been going and throwing out his drift into a battle of control to save his life. I could hear the tires of the car sliding from all the way back to where I was, the screech unending as I watched him lose more control rather than gain it like he usually would. My stomach dropped and hollowed out as I watched the opponent car who had hit him in the first place hit him a second time – on purpose, this time Joe losing control completely...

"What happened next?" Santana asked, bringing her out of her thoughts momentarily.

Brittany shrugged. "I watched as he hit the guard rail at speed. He had no control of the car as he hit it so he had no chance to save himself. Everything stopped when I watched him fly over the cliff edge into the nothing below."

By now she was sniffling, Santana rubbing at her hips reassuringly. "You don't have to go on if you don't want to Britt."

"No, it's ok." She breathed, sniffling loudly. "I got this far." Santana nodded and she took that as her cue to continue. "The race ended right there. The guy who had knocked him off just kept going. I slowed down, the guy I'd been battling with taking back third place whilst I stopped on the bend. The traffic continued to drive past but I rushed out of my car, running to the edge of the cliff where I could see the mangled tire marks on the road and the smoke bellowing up from below. All of a sudden an explosion rocked the side of the cliff and I could see Joe's car ablaze. The Nos then ignited and another explosion erupted, telling me there was definitely no way he could have survived that. Standing there, heavily breathing, looking down to where my best friend now probably lay in ashes I felt myself lose a part of me. I can still remember the smell of rubber and feel the sting of the smoke in my eyes."

"What about the guy that hit him?"

"I searched for months but I never found him. He never collected his winnings and nobody knew who he was but maybe that was a good thing because I don't know what I would have done when I found him but I know that I probably would have regretted it. I knew Joe probably had enemies but I guessed that one had come back for stealing his 'rightful' place in first as the local Drift King, much like you and Rory. I don't know but I just..."

"Weren't the same after it?"

Brittany nodded. "Yeah, but I guess you kinda know how that feels after the whole Jake thing."

"Yeah, I guess I do. I also guess that this is the day he died?"

"The anniversary, yes. I lost track of the years but I remember the day. Everybody thinks I leave to remember a family member or Finn and in a way I guess I do, he just wasn't blood family. I always come up to the spot where he went over, speak to him, say my goodbyes and then go to my thinking spot."

"Which is where I found you. So, I guess you've been to see him today?"

"Yeah. I helped the locals build a safer bend there, giving me room to pull my car over and sit on the bench I had placed there with a plaque with his name on it. Today we talked, as crazy as that sounds."

"Hey," She cooed, reaching a hand up to cup Brittany's chin to make her look at her. "It's not crazy, not to me. It's pretty great actually."

Brittany frowned. "What do you mean, 'pretty great'?"

This time it was Santana's turn to shrug. "It's 'pretty great' because you're remembering him. You do remember him and you're going to see him every year like clockwork. You make sure that's he's not forgotten and this year you made it even better for him because you told somebody – me. I'm glad you told somebody, even if that means that it was me. I'm sure, even though I didn't know him, that he's looking down on you so proud that you finally got it out."

"You think so?"

Santana nodded with a smile and wiped away a stray tear that had tracked itself down Brittany's cheek. "I know so." She replied, pressing a kiss to the blonde's forehead.

"I guess he would be."

"See, I know he would. I also know that he'd probably be proud that you finally told somebody about how you got so good at drifting. Now I have somebody to thank for making my baby girl the best. I know why you're the Drift Queen now."

The two of them were quiet for a few moments before Brittany sniffled and pulled away to look up at her girlfriend. "You know you're pretty awesome right?"

"I'm not the one who's awesome today, you are. You had the courage to tell me about your past, which I know isn't easy and after everything we've been through together I'm so proud of you."

"It must have been fate, us two meeting. Nothing would have happened the way it did and we wouldn't have gone through all that stuff and I wouldn't have got it off my chest but now I have."

"Exactly and I think I have something that will explain what's going on in my brain. I'm not good at getting my words out, at least not when it's super emotional as you know, but I want to share something with you that I've waited a long time to express with that particular someone. You're my someone Britt, you're also my security. I think this is perfect..."

Brittany watched as Santana pulled her phone from her pocket without disrupting their current position, tapping away for a few seconds before music started flowing out of it's speakers. Immediately it struck something within Brittany and she couldn't stop the first tear as it rolled down her face, Santana's melodic voice in tune with the original one on the track as she wiped it away carefully with her thumb.

A loss that would have thrown
A hole through anybody's soul
And you were only human after all
So don't hold back the tears my dear
Release them so your eyes can clear
I know that you will rise again
But you gotta let them fall
I wish that I could snap my fingers
Erase the past but no
You cannot rewind reality
Once the tape's unrolled

She thought about all of the things Brittany had told her, about every detail that had gone down from the moment she had first met Joe to the moment of his demise. It was sudden, something she hadn't expected from the other woman and this certainly wasn't how she pictured her day ending up but she was here and she was listening and trying to make Brittany as aware as possible of how much she cared and was willing to sit and be with her through this. It was the least she deserved after everything she had put her though. As she said, it was sudden but it wasn't by far unwelcome. She was thankful actually. She was pleased that Brittany had enough trust in her to actually tell her instead of pushing her away the moment she had pulled up in that viewpoint parking lot. Instead Brittany had let her in and given her a front row seat to her emotions and she did everything she could to make her feel safe, even if she didn't personally feel as if it was very much. A year ago if you had expected her to let another person open up this deeply personal in front of her she would have told you you were crazy but Brittany was different, they were different. She'd never known another relationship like this and it both scared and excited her at the same time. That's why she was happy to do this, to be here for her girlfriend. Brittany was special and she was going to make sure that the blonde knew it.

If your spirit's broken and you can't bear the pain
I will help you put the pieces back
A little more each day
And if your heart is locked and you can't find the key
Lay your head upon my shoulder
I'll set you free
I'll be your security

What befell Joe didn't deserve to happen to anybody, not even her enemies, but it had and Brittany had witnessed it first hand with her own eyes. It couldn't have been easy in the first place but it seemed as if Brittany had been keeping this to herself ever since it happened and if there was one thing Santana had learnt, especially in the past year, it was that bottling up this kind of powerful emotion was toxic and for Brittany it had hit it's boiling point. For her that meant letting the floodgates open and everything come pouring out and Santana would admit thay whilst it was bad that Brittany hadn't expressed this prior to anybody else, the blonde had serious skills in keeping her emotions in check – except for when it came to them of course but she guessed that the anger she'd bared witness to was intentional by now. Back to the current situation at hand though, she was intrigued by the man that had taught Brittany to be the best she could be and maybe one day she'd find out more, but right now her one job was to make the other woman feel better, in whatever way possible.

A moment of despair
That forces you to say that life's unfair
It makes you scared of what tomorrow may bring
But don't go giving into fear
Stop hiding all alone in there
The show keeps going on and on
But you'll miss the whole damn thing
I wish I had a crystal ball to see what the future holds
But we don't know how the story ends till it's all been told

That event was seared into her brain for life and it still hurt her even now as if it had only happened yesterday. That's what made things so much more intense – she still felt it, the rawness of the memory and it hurt her from her brain to her heart, even right down to her toes. Being the anniversary of his death only made things feel a thousand times worse and it supercharged every feeling, sentiment, and mental state that she possessed relating to the matter. It tugged at her soul deep within her chest, as if she couldn't breathe through the tears that she now stained Santana's t-shirt with, but she couldn't help it. Once they had started she knew there was no way on Earth she could ever physically stop them herself, or Santana for that matter, but there was a certain feeling of relief in them as they poured out of her eyes and down her flushed and heated cheeks. She'd finally done it, she'd finally got the words out of her mouth in front of another person and despite her pain the respite that she'd so desperately waited so long to feel was overwhelming. It was enough to allow her to think about the lyrics being sung by both the original singer and Santana, taking in how real they felt relating to her current situation and how she felt. It also made her think about the future, what could possibly happen, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. They had so much that was going on with cars, training, and Race Wars along with the plan to take down Cassandra that Brittany had become more worried and anxious with each passing day. It didn't surprise her when Santana hadn't picked up on it, she'd always been a master at masking her emotions, unless she wanted you to see them of course, but right now she wanted her to see them and she wanted to see and hear them loud and clear. She was struggling and she needed a shoulder to lean on. She wondered what would happen to them if Cassandra won or if one of them got hurt trying to take her down, and she didn't think she could take Santana being taken down by Cassandra, not again. She'd nearly died last time, that was enough to last Brittany an entire lifetime if it meant never seeing her hurt again (despite the situation it was relating to).

On any clock upon the wall
The time is always now
So baby kiss the past goodbye
Don't let the future blow your mind
Just sit back and chill
Take things as they come
You can't be afraid
To live for today
I will be with you each step of the way

Then she heard a line that caused a strange but welcome drop in her stomach which made her feel a little better. Coming from audibly Santana's mouth it only cemented that feeling. She had to be strong despite this pain, she couldn't let it consume and control her any more, that's not what Joe would have wanted. Instead he would have wanted her to take strength from what happened and put it into her driving to show everybody that it hadn't defeated her. Strangely enough though she hadn't realised that that was what it had really meant until Santana came along and she'd told her. Now she had she realised that she needed to use this to make herself feel better but also to prove that she could handle the heat, in whatever form it took. Whether it be Cassandra or Race Wars or both, even if the future was unclear she was sure of one thing: if she had Santana by her side she was pretty sure she could take on anything you threw at her.

By the end Brittany was letting out uncontrollable sobs into Santana's chest, the tears seeming never-ending as she clutched on tightly to the fabric at the Latina's sides. She felt strength, sure, but she was letting out years of bottled up emotions and now she'd finally found the right person to tell she wasn't sure she could ever stop. Nevertheless though, the kisses she felt being placed to the top of her head and the soothing hands smoothing up and down her back were enough to coax her out of her deep sadness, enough to allow her to pull away and sniffle as she looked up at the woman she was sure now more than ever that she loved more than life itself.

"Hey, feel a little better?" She asked, her thumbs wiping away the tears from her heated cheeks and smiling reassuringly.

Brittany nodded, reaching up her hands to cover Santana's as they stopped at her jaw. "A little."

"Good." She responded, placing a kiss to the top of her head. "Britt, you know I'm always gonna be there for you right?"

"Yeah."

"And you know I'm always gonna be here to listen to whatever it is that's jumping around in that one-of-a-kind genius brain of yours?"

"Yes." She chuckled.

"And you know I'm thankful that you told me even though you didn't have to don't you?"

Looking up and into her eyes Brittany nodded once again. "I know. Trust me, I know."

"Good. I was worried there for a second that after this morning I'd done something wrong that had me thinking I wasn't worthy of knowing where you'd gone and what you were up to."

Brittany chuckled as a tear rolled down her cheek, sniffling as she reached up to cup both sides of Santana's face. "You're worthy Santana. Trust me, oh God you're worth it."

Santana smiled as Brittany drew her into a kiss, the room falling silent as they let themselves enjoy the gesture. When Brittany pulled away the room remained silent between them before she spoke up again, her voice unsure as she timidly voiced her thoughts.

"What do we do now?"

Santana was silent as she seemingly pondered in her head what they could really do next. Moments later she shifted and looked into Brittany's eyes, her face leaning in close as her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper.

"I would like to thank you in my own special way for telling me and opening up to me. That's if the lady agrees that is."

Brittany immediately caught onto the tone of Santana's voice, that unmistakable husk causing her to grow warm in places she'd rather not mention – at least not out loud anyway. She blushed as a result, earning a small smirk tugging at the edge of Santana's lips in response.

"But what about work?" She asked, clearly trying to deflect from what she knew was about to happen.

Santana shrugged, her hands caressing the other woman's waist. She knew what she was doing but she was going to indulge her anyway. "Rachel told Letty I was going to look for you. As far as they're concerned I still am, until I let them know otherwise that is. In the meantime, we have this cosy little room in this quiet little inn that means much more to us than any of our friends could ever imagine. I suggest we use this opportunity of a quiet moment whilst we have the chance before Race Wars and all of it's baggage consumes our lives for the next two weeks."

"I know, it's just..."

"You're worried, I get it. But right now, for the first time since it happened, let someone take that pain away Britt, let me be the one to bear it on my shoulders. Don't say I can't after everything I've been through – I'm offering. Please, let me take it away, even if for just a day."

Brittany's eyes flickered back to Santana's and she could see the sincerity pouring out of them into her own. Arousal momentarily pushed to the side she let the Latina's words sink in and before she knew what she was doing she'd crashed their lips together frantically, her hands clawing at the other woman's t-shirt collar. It was Santana who was the one to pull away, her lack of breath clear in her voice.

"Hey, hey, there's no need to rush. Slow down babe, we have a long while to do this."

"But-"

"Shush." She urged, pressing her pointer finger to Brittany's lips. "I know, but lust isn't going to solve anything. It never solves anything. When I told you I'd take the weight I meant it babe. Here, lay down and let me do all the work, this is all about you and you alone. Not me, not anybody, not anything – just you."

Brittany allowed herself to be laid down slowly onto the bed until Santana was hovering over her. Her legs still wrapped around Santana's waist she melted into the bedsheets beneath her as the other woman languidly kissed her, that familiar warmth slowly filling up her chest and setting her at ease. She couldn't explain it but Santana was the only one she had ever felt it with and she relished moments like this when it blossomed in her chest and radiated throughout her body like a warm shiver of something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Nevertheless she allowed herself to lose herself in the woman above her, her thoughts and feelings fading until all she could think of was the affections that Santana was now bestowing upon her. As the music switched into something much slower she felt herself liquesce further into what Santana was doing to her and what she was surely about to do. It didn't mean it made her heart rate slow down, if at all. In fact, with every slow moment and every precisely placed kiss from Santana she felt it pick up, the muscle beating faster and faster in her chest as her Latina riled and excited her to a point where she knew she wouldn't come back from, at least not any time soon if Santana had anything to say about it.

With her work done on Brittany's neck, now having made sure that the entire world could see that she was hers for at least the next few days, proud of what she had done Santana urged Brittany to sit up, making quick work of her t-shirt. It was fast to be deposited somewhere behind her before she was already onto the next item of clothing, her fingers expertly working free the clasp of the blonde's light purple bra, that too now joining the t-shirt somewhere in the room. Now bare and half naked for only to Santana to see Brittany shivered as her back hit the bedsheets once more but it wasn't from the cold, instead the shiver originating from the thought of what Santana was going to do next. Well, it wasn't really a single thought. All Brittany could think about were all the things Santana was going to do. They excited her to the point where she let out a breathy moan into the other woman's mouth as she clutched tightly at her t-shirt, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.

Santana laughed into her mouth as she pulled away, prying Brittany's hands from her shirt as she felt her legs tighten around her waist to compensate. "Hey, slow down babe. I'm not going anywhere."

"I know but I need you."

Santana couldn't help herself when she let out a chuckle at the desperation in Brittany's voice. It had come out more like a whine than a statement and she knew underneath that she really was desperate, she'd just have to wait. Santana wasn't in the mood to rush things right now, especially not after the emotion-heavy conversation that they had only been sharing minutes before. "Just keep it slow babe, I promise it will be worth it. Se paciente."

Before Brittany could respond with another whine Santana swallowed it as she covered her lips with her own, Brittany soon melting into the action rather than protesting. With Brittany momentarily silenced Santana took the opportunity to rid herself of her own shirt. Temporarily breaking the kiss she leant back and Brittany watched from her place below her as she made quick work of her shirt, licking her lips when she saw the other woman's abs now on full show for her to see. Unable to keep her hands away, like a child being told not to touch candy, she reached up and ran her fingertips slowly over each bump and protrusion of Santana's perfectly sculpted stomach. It was if she was taken aback to their shared dream, her hands drifting to a familiar scar that would forever be marked upon Santana's body, the one that had almost taken her life. She lingered, her need fleetingly forgotten as she traced the extruding scar tissue. Santana allowed her this moment, a welcome break in their current situation, to explore something that never failed to make them both stop and think. By now she'd lost count of how many times Brittany had done this when they came together, the other woman always drawn to the place which had almost taken her away from her. She couldn't blame her though, if she were in her position and the roles had been reversed she would probably be doing the same.

She broke free from her thoughts though when Brittany tugged her back down, using her free hand to throw Santana's shirt to the floor where her own lay somewhere. With the item of clothing gone she was free to wrap her arms around the Latina's neck, both limbs bringing her down so that their lips could meet once again. Returning the favour Brittany tugged on her sports bra and Santana happily conceded, temporarily breaking the kiss so that she could pull it over her head. Brittany added it to the growing pile of clothes now scattered around the room and joined their lips together once more the moment she had the chance, not giving Santana the option to pull away. Caught off guard the Latina sunk into the kiss and let herself get carried away, at least for a few moments before she regained her senses and composure, pulling away to breathe. The both of them panting heavily she gave Brittany a chance to breathe too as she closed her eyes, pressing a kiss to her warm forehead before moving downwards.

Her lips barely touched the blonde's pale skin but Brittany felt every movement, every soft press of her lips and the energy they left behind. It felt like a trail of fire, something hot as they lingered and seared into her memory and trailed lower and lower until they reached the waistline of her jeans, by now gasping for air as she watched Santana carefully unbutton the top of her pants.

She felt as though she couldn't breathe as Santana continued to kiss at her waistline, her deft hands making quick work of the button and the zipper. She was gasping by the time the other woman's fingers hooked into her belt loops and tugged, pulling them down her long and beautifully sculpted legs until they were free. Her socks joined them on the floor below until the only thing she had remaining on her body was her ruined underwear. She knew by the way she was feeling that the hot arousal that throbbed between her legs had done it's damage but she couldn't find herself to care as she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of Santana's fingers dancing at the waistband of her matching purple panties.

"Brittany, amor, look at me." The coax of gentle Spanish was enough to get her to open her eyes and it didn't take long for them to find shining brown ones that were looking right up at her. Her hand reached down to rest on Santana's head.

"Wait."

Santana frowned but it didn't last for long when Brittany pulled her hair free from it's tie, raven locks falling down around her shoulders gracefully like waves of a waterfall, a very nice waterfall that Brittany only found to turn her on even more than before – if that were even possible.

"Thank you." Santana husked back, rewarding Brittany with a kiss over her underwear, sending the blonde's eyes rolling into the back of her head at the unexpected and sudden contact.

When Santana pulled away she smirked and let out a satisfied chuckle. "That desperate huh?"

Brittany rolled her eyes but this time in fake annoyance. She let out a huff and curled her hand in Santana's hair making her look at her. "I would be but you're wearing too many clothes."

Santana looked down at herself and chuckled breathlessly, reaching down and unbuckling her belt and unbuttoning the button. Making light work of her socks and the zipper like she had with her girlfriend's jeans it was only a matter of moments before she was down to just her boxers, the two of them level again. She kissed her way across Brittany's collarbone, paying it special attention with a myriad of kisses and nips before reaching her lips once more, slowing down the pace as she let her mouth linger, just the two of them sharing breaths. Brittany's breathing slowed down as a result and so did her lust, much to her surprise and relief. She wanted to enjoy this, not rush it. Sometimes her want for Santana overruled that but she wasn't going to let that happen, not today. Her hands slid down from Santana's shoulders to rest on her biceps, gripping firmly on the well-sculpted muscles as she pressed a kiss to the blonde's forehead. A calm enveloped the both of them as they let things slow down significantly and when Santana was ready before Brittany knew it tan fingers were hooking themselves in her underwear and tugging downwards. It was then that Santana expertly slid them down her legs until they were free of her feet and on the floor somewhere behind her, Brittany knowing that the underwear was ruined and she probably wouldn't be putting them back on later, if she had a choice that was.

Now completely nude underneath her Santana took a few moments to appreciate just how beautiful Brittany's body looked from her lean legs right up to her toned stomach and perfectly sized breasts. It was everything she could have ever dreamed of. To her Brittany really was the perfect woman, on the outside right down to her brilliant mind on the inside. It amazed her that she was all hers and it shocked her that not twenty minutes ago this very same blonde woman was balling her eyes out into her chest over something she'd spent years trying to hold in to herself. That had changed though and time be damned Santana was going to use every single minute and second she had to show this amazing woman underneath her just how much she appreciated her from her head down to her toes.

She started by slowly connecting their lips and then moved to her jaw, kissing her way down to her neck before nipping at the skin she'd previously marked, said marks already bruising. It caused her to smirk into said neck, knowing that the following day everybody and anybody would be able to see who she belonged to. Resuming her movements she soothed the skin with her tongue slowly and suckled, earning a familiar but welcome moan from the woman below. She lingered there a few moments, drawing more delicious groans of pleasure each time she kissed at each mark, each one rising in volume. Coming to the last one she suckled particularly hard earning a notably breathy moan from her girlfriend. A hand shot up to her hair, tugging on the raven locks as Brittany continued to gasp at the sensation the longer Santana lingered.

"Santana...please." She begged, earning a chuckle from said woman.

She smirked and kissed her way down slowly to her collarbone. "Hmm, I thought you liked it."

There was a brief lapse in verbal communication for a few seconds as Brittany's mind caught up with her body and she formed a few words in some semblance of an answer. "I-I do b-but right now I n-need you s-so bad. God, I need y-you s-so bad."

Despite the fact that she was stuttering Santana knew exactly what she was trying to communicate. Brittany was desperate and wanting and caught in a hard place. She wanted Santana to just stop playing around and get on with it already but on the other hand, the way that she was moaning and slowly clawing at her hair told the Latina that what she really wanted was the slow build up. Her decision made long before any of this clarification was given to her Santana continued with what she was doing, making sure to suck extra hard at Brittany's now-bruised pulse point. This earned her another, more impassioned moan from her girlfriend serving her smirk to grow wider as she teased her way down to her collarbone.

She let her fingers dust lightly over said collarbone, feeling the dips and curves of the prominent bones and ridges of her girlfriend's sculpted torso slowly. She was in no rush, letting herself map out skin she already knew by heart once again as if it were all her first time. But it wasn't, and both of them knew that as she continued to tease, her fingertips pressing down firmly in places and light in others. Brittany gasped rather loudly as they trailed lower, down in between the valley of her breasts as Santana accompanied them with her lips to the juncture of her neck. It was agonizingly slow but it felt so damn good. At least to Brittany it did and she didn't care. She was too far gone by this point and as much as the throbbing in between her legs got more and more noticeable she found herself more and more thankful that Santana hadn't given in to her constant pleading. There'd be other times for that where they could just rip each others clothes off and get right to it but right now Santana was doing just as she said, she was proving how much she loved her and it was the best feeling she'd ever felt, as cheesy as that sounded.

It was then that her eyes drifted down in a brief moment where they were open and she watched as Santana left open-mouthed kisses across the bare expanse of her chest whilst her hand trailed lower. It was as if it were leaving a trail of fire down the center of her torso down to her belly button and it left her wondering how she'd managed to keep herself from coming undone already and yes, Santana's touch was that good. No matter how Santana managed to do it there was no denying the way it deliciously burned her skin and she savoured every millisecond of it until the Latina stopped just above where she needed her the most.

"Santana-"

"I know. Patience love. No estamos corriendo esto(We're not rushing this)."

She had no idea how to respond but it didn't really matter. What did matter was that Santana resumed what she was doing, her mouth now occupied once again with Brittany's chest, nipping and leaving even more marks as she played with the blonde's bare waistline teasingly before dipping her fingers lower towards the familiar heat.

Brittany thought she would explode with anticipation but it wasn't until she felt those fingers where she needed them the most that she let out the longest and loudest moan she'd produced since Santana had started. It was enough to make her head spin and her vision blur, skilled tanned fingers slipping back and forth ever so slowly as to let her get acquainted to the feeling before things progressed to the next level. Santana Lopez, always so caring even in the heat of passion. Her grip on Santana's hair tightened and her other hand clawed at the Latina's shoulder as the throbbing increased, the movement of the lips on her chest never ceasing or slowing. Santana had her right where she wanted her and Brittany wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else, especially right now in this moment. She'd never felt this before and even with her hormone-addled brain she was going to make sure she enjoyed every single second of it.

"Is this ok for you?" Santana asked after a brief moment of silence between them, the only thing filling the room being Brittany's breathy gasps of air in and out.

It took a minute but the blonde found some kind of audible response to the other woman's question and scarcely nodded. "S-Sant-...I n-need you s-so b-bad. P-please..."

She was a stuttering mess and Santana was enjoying every minute of it. Brittany's pleas didn't go unanswered for long however before Santana was fulfilling her wish, her fingers moving faster through warm wet folds. Brittany's gasps increased into whimpers until they eventually graduated to moans, the sounds music to Santana's ears as their bodies developed a rhythm back and forth, back and forth. By now they were rocking against one another as Santana worked her fingers down below and it soon became too much to bare, Brittany using one of her hands to pull Santana's head up from her chest.

"San, it's too much, I need you."

She needn't say any more, Santana getting the point. She knew what she meant and she was happy to oblige. So, she let her free hand travel downwards until it cupped the back of Brittany's thigh, lifting and bringing it up to rest loosely around her waist as her fingers finally dipped inside where her girlfriend needed her the most. Brittany's accompanying moan was all she needed by way of confirmation and now all she needed to do was turn it up by ten times until she had the blonde a quivering mess unable to form basic words beneath her. That was her goal and she was going to make sure that Brittany both reached it and felt loved at the same time. She didn't think she'd have a single problem.

As her fingers began to slide in back and forth Brittany cupped her jaw with one hand and drew her into a slow but fervid kiss, their lips moving slowly enough that they could feel every single inch of each other and what was going on. Brittany didn't let up, her hand sliding up to nestle snugly into Santana's raven coloured locks whilst her other hand scratched at her back, the heat in both her centre and the pit of her stomach growing ever more slowly and voraciously. It was like every feeling Santana had previously given her but at ten times the level. Every nerve felt like it was on fire and every inch of her skin felt like the slightest touch could set her off, like a ticking time bomb that got more and more fragile with every passing movement they shared between one another. It wasn't helped by the Latina's lips just a breadth away from her own, the two of them sharing breath as Santana pushed back and forth harder and faster at the blonde's wheezy insisting.

Santana could feel herself getting hotter and hotter and more turned on herself with every passing hiss Brittany gasped up into her mouth, knowing that her boxers were probably already ruined. Not that they mattered though. What mattered right now, besides her own ache down below, was Brittany's and she was teetering closer and closer to the edge with every stroke. Her moans lapped sweetly at her ears as she got closer and closer, the tell-tale signs of the blonde's impending release sending her own heart racing faster than she thought possible. The extra skip in her chest gave her the strength to push through the familiar ache in her arm, her muscles protesting with every stroke in and out and previously scarred flesh crying out for her to stop but she refused, she wasn't done. Brittany wasn't done. But, she had to admit, the blonde's desperate pleas for her to go harder and faster had her packing every one of her body's protests to the back of her mind as she was sure that any moment now Brittany had to give in, it was just a matter of when said blonde couldn't take it any more.

"Come on babe, let go for me."

There was a pause as Brittany struggled to form words but she managed to get out a quiet few to let Santana know that she was more than ready to let go. "P-Please Santana. Please."

The strain and the need in her voice had Santana working faster and harder than she thought possible and within moments Brittany's raucous cries of pleasure were filling the room and Santana's ears, no regard for anybody listening beyond their room as Santana fulfilled her promise. As groans and moans escaped the blonde's lips, her high in full swing as her hand gripped harshly at her girlfriend's locks, Santana continued to whisper the same thing into her ear over and over only further adding to the moment.

"I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you."

Followed by kisses to her forehead and face including cheeks, nose, chin, jaw, neck, lips and all over again. Brittany just laid there seemingly paralysed, the high still washing hotly over her body, her eyes half lidded and unfocused as they stared up at the ceiling and her breathing heavy as her chest rose noticeably up and down as if she had just ran a marathon. And it felt like it too. She felt like she'd just finished the run of her life, the adrenaline still coursing through her body like tidal waves as Santana helped her ride out her orgasm until she finally came to a slow but steady stop, her fingers remaining where they were as she let Brittany recover.

"Are you ok?" She asked lovingly, a hand coming up to brush some stray strands of sweaty hair out of Brittany's face.

The blonde nodded as she finally re-caught some of her breath and came back to herself, focusing her eyes on Santana's face who was inches from her. "I think so."

"Good."

"I don't think I've ever come that hard though." She laughed, a slight rasp to her voice from all the previously strained moans that Santana had coaxed out of her.

Santana chuckled as she pressed a kiss to a more or less full formed bruise on her neck that she'd left earlier. "It's always better with feelings."

There was a brief pause between them as Brittany considered what to say in response to her, her mind coming up empty due to the fact that it still felt like mush after the mind blowing pleasure Santana had just given to her. Seconds later she let out a whimper as said Latina slowly removed her fingers from her over-sensitive centre, everything feeling hard wired and on edge after what she'd just experienced down there.

Santana let out another small chuckle at the blonde's whimper as she sucked her fingers clean. "I think I did good."

"Ego much?" Santana just smirked in response, continuing to clean her fingers by wiping them on the sheets beneath them. "I don't think I'm going to be able to walk tomorrow." She groaned.

This time Santana laughed fully, Brittany joining it at the mental image they both shared of Brittany walking with a limp the next day. It wasn't until Santana moved to roll off her, the bed jostling her, that she gasped.

"Hey, you ok?" She asked, concern written across her face as she studied the blonde's pained features.

Brittany nodded and reached a hand up to cup Santana's jaw, her thumb rubbing reassuringly across her cheek. "Yeah, I definitely don't think I'm gonna be able to walk tomorrow."

Santana grinned breathlessly and kissed her palm before completing her action, propping herself up against the pillows and opening her arms for her. Luckily all Brittany had to do was roll onto her side and into the embrace and she was comfortable. Santana's arms wrapped tightly around her shoulder's after pulling the sheets up over them and she happily let her head rest on her chest, listening to her heartbeat as they both basked in the afterglow.

"Santana?"

"Yeah Britt?" She responded, pressing a kiss to the top of the blonde's head.

"Thank you. For everything."

"That's ok."

"And saying you loved me. It meant a lot."

"I know it did." She whispered, her fingertips trailing up and down the other woman's arm as she left another kiss on the top of her head. "I'm proud of you for being so brave and opening up. I know better than anyone that it isn't easy, especially when it's about something that changed your life. You deserved it. You deserve a whole lot more actually."

Brittany knew that she couldn't respond even if she wanted to. Santana had said it perfectly. Instead she focused on the last part. "A lot more?" She asked, a smirk on her face as she pulled away to look up at the Latina.

Said woman nodded, her hand continuing to trail up and down her arm. "Uh huh. Una porción entera más (A whole lot more). So much more that by the time we have to leave tomorrow you won't even be able to stand up."

Brittany couldn't avoid the shiver that ran down her spine at the husk in her girlfriend's voice but she managed to hold it together long enough to pull away a little bit further and trail her finger across the tanned skin of her collarbone with a smirk.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"If so, then before you do anything more to me I demand that you do it boxer-less. I want all of you."

Santana chuckled and lent in for another kiss. "Your wish is my command. Consider it done ma'am."

"That's more like it." Brittany husked, connecting their lips slowly once more. "Now off with those boxers señora Lopez. This girl isn't going to wait around for you forever."

Santana grinned into her girlfriend's lips, the smirk still evident on Brittany's against her own. "Consider it done. Prepare to have your world shook Brittany S. Pierce. You ask and you shall receive."

Songs used: Lloyd Banks - 'Beamer, Benz, Or Bentley' (Ft. Juelz Santana) / Joss Stone - 'Security'

TBC