I'm so sorry for the long wait. I haven't been at home for the whole week and I wasn't able to update till now. I hope I can make it up to you by posting a longer chapter.
The song is called Feels Like Home by Edwina Hayes /watch?v=HrLbrBtD2H0
Santana took an unoccupied seat in the back of the church. She didn't really pay attention to anything that the priest said during the ceremony. Instead, she followed Brittany with her eyes. She looked really happy and excited and kept fidgeting with the bouquet that she was holding. Sometimes she caught a little glimpse of Santana, which caused both girls to smile quickly.
Brittany was surprised when she found Santana in the foyer earlier. Even if Brittany is Isabella's maid of honor, she couldn't really plan the wedding, so she didn't know who was coming or even know about the little performance later on. Only an hour ago they both wished each other a great evening and now they are both attending the same wedding. So this is definitely going to be a good party, because she could finally talk to the girl that she met a couple of days ago. She found herself fascinated by her and always caught herself checking if Santana still sat in the back of the church. Brittany wondered why she didn't sit in the front. There was enough space for such a petite woman. She remembered their afternoon together, when Santana told her that she had to go to her brother's wedding this weekend. Does this mean that Manuel was Santana's brother? He never told anything about her. She always thought that he was an only child. But if she was his sister, why didn't she sit with their parents? Brittany wondered.
Then Brittany remembered that Santana is supposed to sing tonight. This thought made Brittany more excited about the party later. She looked forward to hearing her voice and seeing her perform. She is probably the best singer in the whole world, if Manuel asked her to sing at their wedding.
"I do," Isabella answered firmly. Brittany came back to reality and smiled quickly. She was really happy for them, but now she felt bad because she spent the best part of the wedding wondering about Santana's voice. Well, she was just really curious what her voice might sound like. Maybe she will even make a speech… Brittany couldn't wait to talk to her again. She stole a quick glance at Santana, who smiled back at her again. What a coincidence, that every time that she looked, Santana had the same thought. Maybe they have connected brains or something?
"I do," Manuel's voice rang through the church. Crap. She missed the vows again. She mentally slapped herself for being such an idiot. She quickly looked around if someone noticed her mental absence. Only Santana had her eyes on Brittany again, which caused a blush to creep up Brittany's face. Apparently the woman's stares weren't only by accident.
Loud cheers filled the church and Brittany quickly spun her head around to see her best friends' first kiss as a just married couple. She clapped along and smiled at them when she handed Isabella her bouquet again. The bride had a huge smile plastered on her face when they slowly made their way to the exit.
Santana speeded through the door to the bathroom before her parents could spot her. The guests were slowly approaching the end of the aisle, including Brittany, who had a confused expression written on her face when she saw Santana hurrying out of the church to the bathroom. The first guests made their ways out and threw confetti at the newly wedded couple. When they were about to climb into the limo, Brittany quickly helped her best friend with her dress and whispered. "I'll be right back, you can start driving. I'll be there later." Her best friend just shrugged and nodded, and didn't seem to mind. Brittany entered the church again and followed Santana into the bathroom, which was situated in a small hallway near the foyer.
"San?" She didn't wait till Santana answered and pushed the door open slightly. She was standing in front of the huge mirror, more beautiful than the ever, applying some lip gloss to her plump lips, but her head was pointed towards Brittany. She looked surprised.
"Hey, you." Brittany gracefully made her way to Santana. "What are you doing at the wedding?" She asked with a big smile on her face, even if though she knew the answer. She stood next to her and they made eye contact through the mirror.
"I'm Manuel's younger sister," she stated quickly.
"I didn't know he had a sister. He never told anything about you." Santana's face fell and she looked into the sink, a little sad. Brittany immediately regretted saying what she just said, because she couldn't stand the girl beside her not being happy. She took her left hand and laid it on top of Santana's right shoulder, which caused Santana to turn her head towards Brittany. "Sorry, San. I shouldn't have said that."
"It's okay. I'm not really surprised. We didn't speak to each other till last month, so I guess it's no wonder he didn't mention me," she said with a sad smile and turned to her purse again. When Santana saw Brittany's face become harder through the mirror and her eyebrows knitting together in confusion, she quickly added, "But we're good now… so no reason to be sad anymore." She tried to put on a smile, but failed. It turned out forced and not really believable.
"Are you okay?" Brittany could feel that something was bothering the brunette, but she wouldn't force Santana to tell her. "You seem tense."
"No, I'm fine." That was a lie. Santana had many things on her mind. Her parents, who are going to see her at the party, or Manuel and Isabella. She wasn't really sure if Manuel could keep the promise that he made earlier, when she would be confronted with their parents sooner or later. And the closer the party got, the more concerned Santana was about what would happen. She had this strange feeling that something bad was going to happen tonight.
Her eyes wandered back to Brittany, who was standing there in full beauty. She was wearing the baby blue dress that they bought together. Santana could get lost in her eyes, which seemed endless and matched her dress perfectly. "You look beautiful," Santana unintentionally said out loud after a minute of silence. Brittany looked up, surprised, and immediately blushed furiously. Their eyes met and the tension was nearly unbearable. The previous topic was forgotten and, instead, just the two of them mattered right now.
"Thanks," a shy whisper came from Brittany's lips. She faced her fully and Santana imitated her action and suddenly they stood really close to each other. "You look beautiful, too," Brittany said and wanted to shove her against the closest stall door and kiss her senseless. She wanted to feel Santana's lips on her own since she first saw her. "You took my advice to heart," Brittany spoke up, forcing the more than inappropriate thoughts into the back of her mind.
"What?" Santana asked confused. She still was a bit bewildered by their staring contest.
"Your hair," Brittany simply stated. She let her eyes wander over Santana's face and her curly hair, which fell down loosely around her shoulders. "You look so pretty when you wear it like that." Brittany took a single strand between her fingers and swirled it, before she let go.
"Thanks." She looked at the ground and an awkward silence fell over them.
Santana broke it first. "Why aren't you with Isabella? You're her bridesmaid, right?"
"Yeah, right. But I wanted to look where you went and I'm pretty useless anyway. I have no idea about the next event in their schedule so…I thought I 'd better come after you, instead of holding the bride bouquet." Santana felt great after hearing this. Although she had no idea if Brittany liked her back, Brittany seemed to be the only person in this church who understood her and her feelings.
"It's a pretty tough task to hold the bouquet." Santana stated jokingly. Brittany's laugher filled the bathroom, and Santana joined in after a moment. She loved making the blonde laugh. It made her heart flutter with joy. "Come on, let's hit the party." Santana grabbed Brittany's hand and lead her towards the exit. "I can give you a ride, if you want," she said when they got closer to her car.
"Oh, thank God. I thought you would never ask," Brittany said with relief. Santana giggled. "I seriously am not in the mood to walk all the way in these shoes," Brittany lifted her right foot to show Santana her heels, which were probably not appropriate for a long walk.
"I wouldn't have left you standing here alone," she stated sincerely. Brittany smiled at her and got into the car after Santana held the door open for her.
*B*S*
"You alright?" Brittany asked, concerned, sensing Santana's discomfort when they entered the wedding location. Santana just nodded and put her jacket on the designated rack in the foyer und followed the already very loud sounds of the wedding guests. Santana was surprised by the beautiful decorations. Everything was decorated in a soft color of light green and there were some nicely placed white lilies spread around the room. The long buffet tables were covered with a pearly-white tablecloth and were placed around the huge dance floor and the stage.
Seeing the whole room and all the people scattered around the room made Santana's heartbeat increase instantly. Of course she had performed in front of a huge crowd with the Glee Club at Nationals before, but this was a whole new level. Her family, who she hadn't seen in years, was here tonight, and to make things worse, they were the only people who hated her to death.
She felt how her arm was carefully grasped by Brittany's soft hand. She looked up into those blue eyes, which just shined back at her. "Come on let's congratulate the happy couple," she told Santana, and they made their way to Manuel and Isabella, who were hidden by all of the guests who wanted to give their best wishes to the newlyweds. Brittany and Santana just stood there for a while, waiting for the other guests to leave, before they could finally talk to them.
"Congratulations, Manuel," Santana said while hugging her brother friendlily. "It was a wonderful ceremony." Okay, Santana hadn't really seen much of the ceremony, because she was preoccupied with watching Brittany.
"Thank you, San," he said, pulling away. They both looked at Brittany who was squealing into Isabella's ear, nearly crushing her bones with her hug, according to Isabella's expression. Manuel had to suppress a chuckle. So did Santana. Brittany was just so adorable, it was unreal. Brittany put down her best friend again and turned to Manuel, pulling him into an equally strong hug.
Santana didn't know what to say to Isabella. They never got along smoothly in the past, and a hug seemed inappropriate. "Congratulations to you, too," Santana told her, friendly while keeping her distance. Isabella smiled and thanked her honestly before Brittany yanked Santana towards Quinn, who was standing with Puck a few meters away. Brittany nearly tripped Quinn over when she jumped at her from behind, but Quinn could thankfully keep her balance. Santana let out a loud chuckle and greeted Puck quickly with a wave.
"BRITTANY!," Quinn shrieked deafeningly and pushed her off of her. But she had a huge grin on her face when she turned around and smiled at Santana briefly before engulfing Brittany in a hug. When a waitress came past them, Santana swiftly grabbed a glass of champagne off of the tray and took a huge gulp. She would need it tonight.
"ANNA!" Brittany yelled through the huge room and nearly every pair of eyes was directed at her. So much for not attracting attention tonight, Santana thought to herself. Brittany didn't seem to mind because she was already knocking Anna over in a bone-crushing hug… Yeah, Santana would definitely need some glasses of champagne tonight…
*B*S*
Santana successfully avoided her parents for the whole evening, but now she knew that it was time for her performance. Many people from her family looked at her with a confused expression, sometimes disgust even. But every time they did Brittany kind of appeared out of nowhere and lead her somewhere else, even if she didn't know what the reason for their reaction was. She was like her personal angel. She gathered all of her strength by a little squeeze of her hands from Brittany, when after a couple of speeches including the *cough* heartfelt *cough* story of her mother, who of course didn't lose a word over her youngest daughter, Santana found herself making her way to the stage. Her hands were shaking when she grabbed the microphone from a guy of the band. It made a loud shrieking sound, so everyone was looking at her. She searched the crowd for familiar faces as she caught her brother's shining eyes.
"Hello everyone. I'm Santana Lopez, Manuel's sister." A rumble went through the crowd. Some of them seemed to be surprised, probably because most of them didn't even know her, just like Brittany earlier. "I just want to congratulate you again. I'm really happy for you." Isabella and Manuel shot her a thankful expression. "It's time for your first dance as husband and wife." A few cheers came out of Quinn and Puck's direction, the loudest from Brittany, who stood up from her seat.
Brittany could sense Santana's nervousness and tried to loosen the tension a bit by clapping. Thankfully everyone joined in; otherwise it would have been a bit awkward. A smile formed on Santana's face, which made Brittany sigh in relief. When the couple took their destined place in front of the stage, the room went silent and a single guitar began to play. Brittany wanted to get a better view, so she stepped further to the back of the room and leaned against the wall. Santana's parents sat a bit to her right.
Santana was really nervous and tried to focus on something, when Brittany stepped away from their table. First she thought that she might go, but as she leaned against the wall in the back and smiled at her, Santana's heart nearly dropped. It was like that girl could read her mind or something. Santana still wasn't ready to make eye contact with her parents, so she just chose Brittany to focus on.
When Santana's beautiful voice lighted up the room, Brittany could only watch in awe and with shining eyes.
Something in your eyes, makes me wanna lose myself
Makes me wanna lose myself, in your arms
There's something in your voice, makes my heart beat fast
Hope this feeling lasts, the rest of my life
Brittany was so caught off guard so that she opened her mouth slightly. Was she singing about her? She knew she focused on her right know. But the two of them just met a couple of days ago, so that couldn't be possible, right? Brittany had to admit that the tension between them was nearly unbearable and that she was so happy around her. But is that a reason to sing a song about her at her brother's wedding? Brittany shook her head at the thought and went to back to listen to the brunette's beautiful voice.
Santana knew that she sooner or later would have to face her mother and father. So she shifted her gaze to the right to look at her parents. They had a numb expression and sat there motionless, looking her right in her eyes as she continued.
If you knew how lonely my life has been
And how long I've been so alone
And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along
And change my life the way you've done
Her mom's face changed from fixed to disgust. She shook her head and looked at her husband, who just watched Santana sing. Santana, however, couldn't take her parents' sight and her eyes fell on Brittany again.
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong
Brittany had that gorgeous smile, which made Santana's knees go weak and she could see her eyes glimmer in the dimmed light of the room.
A window breaks, down a long, dark street
And a siren wails in the night
But I'm alright, 'cause I have you here with me
And I can almost see, through the dark there is light
Santana had her eyes fixed on the blonde, but took a quick glimpse towards her parents. Her mother must have noticed Brittany in the background through their intense looks. She had her back turned to the stage and shifted her eyes between Brittany and her daughter. She noticed the tension and hurried out of the room. Santana was a bit surprised but had to continue singing. She let her eyes roam through the room until their fell on the couple, which was dancing slowly and contently in the middle of the dance floor.
Well, if you knew how much this moment means to me
And how long I've waited for your touch
And if you knew how happy you are making me
I never thought that I'd love anyone so much
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way the back where I come from
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong
Santana finished the song and a loud wave of applause poured through the room. "Thank you," she said. She smiled, put the microphone back where it belonged, and left the stage. She was just about to go back to their table when she felt a hand yanking her into a small hallway that lead to the bathroom.
"What do you think you're doing?" Her mom's face was cold and angry.
"I was invited to my brother's wedding and he asked me to sing, so I said yes. That is what I'm doing." Santana couldn't stand to see her mother again or even talk to her. She tried to yank herself free but Maria didn't let go off her wrist.
"No, young lady. You're not coming away that easily."
"Now I'm your young lady?" Santana snapped back at her in a breathy laugh, "I don't think so."
"Don't speak to me like that, Santana! I'm your mother!"
"Oh, please. You're not my mother anymore. You told me yourself. You're such a hypocrite."
"Stop talking, now. I don't care what I am to you. You are not supposed to ruin Manuel's wedding with your sinful leering. You don't think I'm too stupid to notice, do you?"
"No, I don't think you're stupid. I only think you're a bitch." Santana replied. Her mother's face grew angrier with each second and Santana was sure that she was going to explode.
"Leave this wedding. NOW!" She pointed to the door. "We don't want you here. Leave!" Santana was shocked, but had a little hope when she saw her brother walking by. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the two women fighting. "Manuel. Come here for a second." Their mother waved him to her sharply and turned around to speak to him. But it was not that Santana couldn't hear them anymore. "You will tell her to leave now. Whether you want it or not. You will not support her lifestyle by inviting her to your wedding. It's wrong and I will not tolerate it… and you won't either."
And there it was. The moment Santana dreaded the whole evening… no, not only today… the last few years. Manuel had to stand up for her. He never did when she needed it the most, but he promised to do it today. Santana's anxiety grew with every second that Manuel stared, motionless, into her eyes. Santana knew that her brother has always been negatively affected by her mother and when he didn't immediately responded, she had the strange feeling that her mother's influence was way too strong.
"Manuel?" Her brother was startled at Santana's voice. "Please don't push me away again. I just got you back… Please," Santana didn't care about what her mother wanted. She wanted Manuel to admit in front of her mother that he wanted her there. "You promised," she whispered when Manuel looked at her with sad eyes and dropped his head.
"I'm sorry, San," he apologized quietly while looking at the ground, which caused a sob to escape the brunette. Tears started pooling in her eyes, threatening to fall. She yanked her jacket from the wardrobe and hurried to the door. But before the warm sun hit her skin, she turned around.
"I trusted you, Manuel. I never thought you would leave me hanging again. You promised me!" she yelled and left without waiting for a response.
Please tell me what you think of this story/chapter. I would really, really appreciate it and I promise I won't bite. ;) So review and keep the review/storyalerts coming :)