TAKEN

Epilogue

Announcements blasted out a regular intervals over the tannoy in the arrivals lounge at LAX. Businessmen marched through in suits firing off commands down their phones, families moved along in wide groups children darting all over the p lace. Santana adjusted her sling while she waited impatiently for her suitcase to appear on the carousel. As it approached she moved to capture it but a strong pair of arms got to it first lifting it effortlessly form the conveyor belt to the ground.

"I'll take it, Britt," Santana offered trying to grab the suitcase from Brittany's grasp. Brittany rolled it around smartly with one hand so it was tucked behind her and out of Santana's reach.

"You've been out of hospital for less than twelve hours, one of your arms is in a sling and you've got Sugar attached to the other," Brittany pointed out rationally. "I'll take it."

Santana looked down at Sugar who was tucked under her good arm and smiling happily back at her. Sugar reached out and took Brittany's free hand and they made their way out of the baggage area together.

"Hey, Pierce's!" A familiar voice called out through the small crowd at the arrivals lounge. They looked over to see Quinn waving and jogging over to them.

"Auntie Q!" Sugar squealed as Quinn grabbed her in a death grip.

"Oh my god, kiddo!" Quinn said in a strangled voice, holding Sugar so tight no one would have been able to pry her from her arms unless she let them. "Let me look at you."

Sugar nodded shyly and looked to the side at her moms who were watching over them. Quinn took a half step back and held Sugar at arms length and inspected her from head to foot. She nodded to herself and dabbed at her eyes.

Brittany chuckled and hugged Quinn while Sugar leaned back into Santana's good side and received a kiss on the head for doing so.

"It's so good to see you all," Quinn choked up again on Santana's turn for a hug.

"Thanks for everything, Quinn," Santana whispered in her ear as she squeezed Quinn as best she could with one arm.

"Any time."

Everyone was looking suspiciously emotional so Quinn grabbed Brittany's luggage and led them to the door.

"I've been told to inform you that the 'Puckmobile' is your chariot," Quinn explained as she led them to Puck's Humvee half parked on the sidewalk and half on the road at the door.

"What's that ball of lard doing here?" Santana demanded, staring warily at the ginormous cat seated regally on the passenger seat.

"He wanted to see Sugar straight away, obviously," Brittany grinned and leaned in through the window to hug him.

"Oh, yes." Quinn ran her hand through her hair, watching while Brittany and Sugar greeted Lord Tubbington. "Also, Britt, your house kind of caught fire. I didn't want to bother you with it while you were...," she cleared her throat, "busy. According to the fire-fighters someone left a fondue pot on and the cheese incinerated everything with in a ten metre radius of the epicentre. Everything is sort of okay, the downstairs is a bit crispy and there's an all pervading scent of smoked cheese. I packed a bag for you both and I'll take you all to Santana's."

"What?" Santana cocked her head to the side like she hadn't heard properly.

"What?" Brittany repeated in surprise.

"Cool," Sugar beamed.

Santana gulped.

Santana reached up and rang the doorbell.

"Where are we?" Sugar looked around the expensive looking neighbourhood with interest. It was a far cry from the Lima heights-esque neighbourhood Santana (and co.) currently lived in and different again from the beachside house she shared with Brittany. Sugar eyed the verdant palm trees, perfectly manicured lush garden, huge blue swimming pool and shiny white Mercedes convertible on the driveway with curiosity.

"I told you, it's a surprise," Santana replied with a smirk.

The door opened capturing their attention. Sugar's jaw dropped while Santana grinned unabashedly at her stunned reaction.

"Hi," said Mercedes with a smile to Santana.

"Hi," Santana beamed back while Sugar continued gaping. Santana laughed aloud at her expression of starstruck shock. Sugar looked to her mother. "When someone says hi it's usually polite to say hi back," Santana chuckled.

"Hi," Sugar squeaked obediently.

"Just enjoy the quiet moment because it wont last," Santana warned Mercedes.

Mercedes chuckled and turned to Sugar. "So I heard you want to be a singer?" She said, warmly.

"I do," said Sugar with a face splitting grin.

"She does," Santana insisted simultaneously. Sugar laughed and Santana looked a little sheepish.

"Well come on in," said Mercedes, stepping aside to let them into her mansion. "Lets see what you've got."

"Well, was that cool or what?"

"Don't say cool, Mom, but yes, that was so cool. I cant believe you know Mercedes Jones. And I cant believe we both got to sing with her!"

Santana chuckled as she pulled out onto the main road and beginning the journey through the LA rush hour traffic back home. "I hope she didn't get the wrong impression when you said you'd remember her when you're a superstar singing sensation."

Sugar smiled sheepishly. "She knew I was joking right? Not everyone gets when I'm joking."

"She knew. You've got your mothers sense of humour, that's for sure. So, do you think you still want to be a singer?"

"I'm not so sure... I mean..."

Santana looked over and smiled reassuringly.

"I love it and it was totally dope singing with a real live famous singer, but I just kept thinking about how much Kitty would have loved to have been there and met Mercedes as well."

Sugar looked away from Santana and out the window. Santana left her in peace for the moment giving her a chance to compose herself.

"I was thinking," Sugar cleared her throat. "Maybe I could take some self defence classes? And also, do you think you and Mom could teach me some stuff?"

"I can teach you," Santana nodded.

"Maybe if I knew that sort if thing already then Kitty would still be alive and you wouldn't have a bullet hole in you and Mom wouldn't have scars all over her-"

Sugar grabbed for the door handle to steady herself as Santana suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"Now you listen to me, Sugar. Combined, your mother and I have more bullet holes and knife scars on us than you've had hot dinners. They, every single one of them, had nothing to do with you. In fact, the only thing that is your fault is the fact that Brittany hasn't been shot at for seventeen years. Thank you for that, by the way. And I have been so, so careful about my work that the worst injury I've had in the last seventeen years was a nasty paper cut from all the extra desk work I've done to keep me out of trouble."

Sugar didn't look very convinced by that line.

"Hey, I'm telling you, paper cuts are the worst," Santana insisted, but Sugar just rolled her eyes. Santana reached over and took Sugar's hand, squeezing tight.

"It is not your fault Kitty is dead. It is not your fault you were taken. It is not your fault all of this happened. And if it happened again, and it wont, it still wouldn't be your fault."

"Will you teach me?" Sugar said in a small voice.

"Anything and everything you want."

They pulled up on Santana's driveway and Sugar waited, watching with unconcealed amusement as her mother checked her appearance in the rear view mirror.

"Mom, your hair looks fine. Why are you checking it?"

"I know it's fine and I wasn't checking anything."

"Ohhh-kay it's perfect... as usual. How do you get it to do that?"

"Hot genes. Don't worry kid you got some. Just as well, because this Lopez charm cannot be taught."

"Sometimes you're such a dork I wonder how you ever got my mom to marry you."

"Is the label in my top tucked in?" Santana squirmed, turning in her seat.

"Yes, and you look amazing. How did you even get a sling to match your purse?"

"I have contacts." Santana winked as Sugar got out of the car. "Wait, where are you going?" she asked worriedly as Sugar began to cross the lawn away from the front door to the house.

"Over Marley's, I don't think I can witness the Lopez charm in action without my eyes rolling so far back into my head I see behind me."

"But what now? You cant just wander off."

"Mom, she lives like four houses away. I promise I wont get kidnapped from here to there. You can even watch me to the door."

Santana frowned looking to the house and back to Sugar.

"You don't need me to chaperone you in your own home."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Santana blustered.

"Yeh, sure," Sugar grinned with a knowing smile.

"Don't look at me like that," Santana muttered, embarrassed.

"Like what? This is my face. See you in a while.," she began to walk away.

"Hey!" Santana called. Sugar turned back to see her mother standing next to the car looking a little forlorn. Sugar jogged back and hugged her. "Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, baby," Santana wrapped her up in a bear hug. "Don't be back late. And call."

"Okay. Be cool."

"I'm always cool!"

Sugar just laughed.

Cautiously, Santana tiptoed into her own house and down the short hallway trying not to alert anyone to her presence. Unfortunately for her, the only other person in the house was a seasoned secret agent who knew all about stealth.

Plus, she'd seen the car pull up outside.

"What are you doing?"

Santana jumped and spun around to find Brittany watching her curiously as she attempted to sneak past the lounge and into the kitchen.

"Nu-nothing," she said. "What are you dong?" she asked, noticing Brittany clutching a couch cushion in her arms.

Santana trailed along behind Brittany as she walked back to the lounge and continued fluffing up the cushions on the sofa Santana was using as a bed.

"I don't know how you can sleep on this couch. It's full of crumbs."

"It's a very comfy couch," Santana said, looking around at the thoroughly cleaned room. Her eyes widened as she saw the stack of small cardboard boxes laid out on the counter which divided the kitchen from the living area. "What's this?"

Brittany ignored her anxious inquiry and simply stated, "There are a lot of breadsticks in your cupboards."

"There's nothing wrong with breadsticks, Brittany! It's an important staple food."

"Santana..."

"Hmmm?"

"We need to talk."

"Oh? But I've got to... pick up some errands-"

"Sit down."

Santana's traitorous legs gave way and she perched on the arm of the couch. "Lord Tubbington is down to his last five tins of cat food," she tried to reason. "If I don't get more he might take out his hunger pangs on me."

"He'll live," Brittany dropped the final cushion into place with authority.

"What we really need to talk about is why that cat is still alive after all these years," Santana said, looking around for the Lord of the house. "Where is the portable footstool?"

Brittany raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Santana's lame attempt to distract her.

"Ha, only kidding," Santana said with a faint chuckle. "Anyone who tried to rest their feet on him would most definitely lose a leg."

Brittany ignored her.

"Sugar told me that since you moved to LA you've been on one date, to BreadstiX, and it was a total disaster. You introduced yourself as Santana Pierce and talked about Sugar all night."

Santana stared opened mouthed and began to splutter indignantly.

"There's no point trying to deny it. One of Sugar's friends waitresses at the restaurant... and I saw the surveillance tape."

"You bugged the restaurant?"

Brittany froze for a second then coughed. "Nope."

"Nope, what?" Santana smirked.

"Sugar brought it home told me it was a DVD I might like to see."

"She'd make a great spy," Santana half smiled, proudly then scowled. "Hey! It wasn't a total disaster..." Her outrage turned to a mumble.

"Nothing can ever be a complete disaster if there are breadsticks involved. Unless they ran out. That would have been bad. Its a big city though you'd think they'd be up on their supplies." She looked up and caught the look on Brittany's face.

"Anyway, you went on a date with the overeager golden retriever and he took you to some crappy French restaurant and you hate fancy pretentious food where they put two leaves artistically on a plate with a dollop of sauce and call it art" Santana's voice got louder and louder. "And the trout monger didn't even ask if you were allergic to shellfish" You could have died!"

"Where would you take me on a date?" Brittany said calmly, taking her by surprise.

Santana's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. "Whuh? Somewhere... romantic..."

"Like... Paris?" Santana snorted. "A cruise down the river, perhaps?"

"Or..." Santana scuffed at the carpet with her boot not meeting Brittany's gaze. "Watching a DVD with you and Sugar all piled up on the couch stuffing ourselves with pizza."

"That sounds perfect."

5 minutes later...

"Gross, old people. Get a room."

Sugar wandered in to the living room and threw her phone on the armchair across from the couch her parents were currently making out on. Brittany looked over from where she was lying on top of Santana pinning her to the cushions.

"I thought you were going over to Marley's."

"She's at a vegan rally. Have you seen my ipod?"

Brittany peered down at Santana who was staring dazedly up at her, not having noticed Sugar had come in and was dazedly wondering why the kissing had stopped. Brittany smirked and pecked her on the lips. Santana reached her arm up around Brittany's neck and tugged her back down until their lips crashed together again.

Sugar didn't even blink, and completely unsurprised by their actions, began to hunt for her mp3 player.

"Do you think Uncle Puck would let me learn to drive in his Humvee?" Sugar asked as she popped her head over the back of the couch and scrunched her nose up at the kissing going on. "Have you stopped for air yet?"

Santana groaned and pushed her away with a palm to the face without breaking the kiss.

The land-line rang distracting Sugar from any possible retaliation. She looked back at her parents and shook her head as they ignored the interruption. With an eye-roll and an exaggerated sigh she walked over to the phone where it was ringing angrily.

"Oh, don't move. I'll get it. Wouldn't want you to strain yourselves when you're so... comfortable."

"Yello? Who wants to know?"

...

"That's not a real name. Director of what?"

…

"Oh... Bitch, I might be. Which one?"

…

"Well they're a little tied up right now. If you catch my drift."

…

"That's right. Hang on, I'll ask." Sugar held out the handset in the direction of the still horizontal kissing couple. "I cant see two pairs of hands!" She shrieked. "No bueno! I am a minor!"

Four hands were half heartedly raised in the air but the lips never parted.

"Better. Some poison dictator woman says for you to stop making out on the couch and tell her what you have to say for yourselves."

…

"What?" She asked, holding the phone to her ear again. "Okay, sheesh. Says her name is Director Sylvester. What kind of a name is director?"

...

"What do you mean? Sugar is an awesome name."

…

"Oh, yeah? Well sucks to be you."

…

"No, you shut up. I have the phone, I'm in control of the conversation and if you don't stop yelling I'mma go all Lima-"

The phone was whisked from her hand before she could really get into the groove.

"Director Sylvester? Agents Lopez and Pierce. What can we do for you?"

Thanks for reading, reviewing, commenting, well wishes and generally supporting this fic. If you get a chance to watch the movie this is based on, 'Taken', I highly recommend it! And I'll forever associate it with Brittana now. Mission accomplished. Until next time.