Chapter: 4/?

Word Count: 4011

A/N: I know that a certain episode was aired on a certain date, you'll find out about it later, but I anticipated the events in it a couple of days. Let me have this artistic license.

The songs used are Katy Perry's "The One That Got Away" and Queen's "We Will Rock You".

Chapter III

The One That Got Away

Lima, 12th September 2012

Quinn was speechless. When twenty minutes before she had received a text from Santana asking, no pleading, her to go to Brittany house she hadn't expected to find a scene like this. She had never seen the other girl so broken.

Mrs. Pierce had opened the door and welcomed her with a hug. It was clear that the older woman was truly worried; usually a smile never left her face, but now her mouth was settled into a deep frown. She motioned her to climb the stairs without uttering a word. Quinn's heart started to beat faster; something was truly wrong.

Brittany's door was ajar; she knocked on the wood before letting herself in. The other girl was seated on the bed, a vacant look on her face, and didn't move an inch, not acknowledging her presence. She cleared her throat but received no response.

"Hey, B." Even her feeble greeting went unnoticed. She looked around the room, but everything seemed in order. While the other girl continued to stare ahead, she gave her a closer scrutiny. On her cheeks there were two dried tear tracks, her hair was ruffled and wild as if she had run her hands through it for a long while, but what caught her attention were her hands. They were clenched so tightly they were ghostly white in color and that contrasted with the scratches that covered them and also run up pale arms.

Quinn grew frantic. "B, what happened to you?"

She kneeled in front of the blonde and cradled her fists in her palms with care. She tried to open them, but they didn't budge. She tried with more force to no avail. Brittany persevered to stare blankly ahead. Quinn frowned and turned them upside-down; there was a piece of paper in her right one. It was crumpled and torn on the edges; the ink was smudged and from what she could guess it was because of fallen teardrops.

The bed dipped from the weight when she took place near her friend; the positions they were in were similar to the ones they had in New York, but their roles reversed. She wrapped an arm around the other girl and waited for a sign.

When nothing changed after a couple of minutes the shorter girl chanced a better look at the letter: it was Santana's handwriting.

Her heart, which hadn't slowed down since she arrived, tripled in rhythm. Swallowing the lump in her suddenly dry throat, she asked. "Santana?"

As if that was the indication she was waiting for Brittany face crumbled and she fell into Quinn's arms. Her sobs were loud and wrecked her body so strongly that the other blonde had problems to hold her. She ran a hand trough tousled hair in an effort to comfort her.

After a long while the tremors subsided and the tears stopped falling. Brittany had cried herself to sleep. She put a gentle palm over a wet cheek while her eyes started to become glossy. It hurt to see an innocent soul like her in such a state.

She extracted herself from a lax grip and with a trembling hand she managed to retrieve the crumpled letter without disturbing the sleeping girl. She covered her with a blanket before taking a seat on the windowsill.

Her eyes widened when she took in the words staring back at her.

New York, November 2016

Quinn returned her attention to the blonde walking towards her. While she was out of earshot she turned to Jess. "Not a word. I don't know how much y-"

He interrupted her warning. "Don't worry, blondie. I don't know much, she's not the best at sharing." He shrugged. "But I have eyes."

She gave him an inquisitive look. "It's in everything she does. Especially when she thinks nobody is watching. Even a blind man could sense the heartache."

She gave him a nod of acknowledgement and wondered briefly how much there was beneath it all if an egocentric individual like him could tell.

The dancer shook her from her thoughts when she breathlessly greeted them. "Sorry. I got lost. I think I ended in the broom closet…" She paused with a puzzled expression. "…Wait, that's in Hogwarts…" She snapped her fingers. "It was the janitor closet. Anyway, here I am. Am I in time to sing?" She asked with a smile, before frowning and indicating Jess.

"I have already seen you somewhere, haven't I?" She tilted her head, eyes alight with curiosity.

"How can you not remember me? I'm unforgettable!" He exclaimed affronted.

"Apparently not." Brittany deadpanned. Quinn snorted.

The brunette ignored them and introduced himself running a hand through his hair for show. "Jess St. James, you should remem-"

"Ah! Shuester's illegitimate son!" She exclaimed happily.

"Not you too…" He grumbled.

The nearest students were giving them strange looks, so the teacher decided it was time to get back to work. "Britt, Jess, the principal gave me the use of the auditorium only until 10, so it's better if we hurry. That way we can squeeze in another couple of songs; we can talk another time. What do you say?"

They both nodded.

"I'll let you have the stage, B. Okay?"

"Sure."

Jess added in his cent. "Great idea. Leave the best for last. And that means me." His smirk was met with an eye-roll and a tilted head accompanied with a blank stare.

Once inside the auditorium. Quinn addressed all of the remaining students. "Silence, please! Can you take your seats again?" They all obeyed. "Thank you. Another member of my old glee club has just arrived and wanted to perform a song for you. She's a professional dancer and has toured with Beyoncé."

Brittany stepped on the stage and a round of catcalls and whistles started. "Hot damn!" One of the more promiscuous jocks yelled. "You can perform for me anytime you want!"

"Rick!" He was immediately chastised. "Sorry, Miss F."

"I wanted to sing a Ke$ha song, but I couldn't find one not too explicit." The audience laughed. "So I chose an old Katy Perry song." It seemed to go well with the public; everyone was smiling.

As the drum started she introduced herself. "I'm Brittany S. Pierce…" She shrugged and added after a beat, provoking a round of sniggers. "…Bitch."

Summer after high school, when we first met

We make-out in your Mustang to Radiohead

And on my 18th birthday, we got matching tattoos

Lima, 4th July 2011

She and Santana were getting back from Rachel's house after a glee club party.

They had all decided to celebrate together. Sadly there was no alcohol involved, but they managed to have fun anyway. Even Zizes was present. The only one missing was Quinn. She frowned. Since school ended, or more precisely after New York, the other blonde had practically vanished. She had seen her merely twice and only because she and San appeared on the Fabray doorstep and used the spare key hidden under the mat. They found her lying on her bed with the blinds closed and punk music blasting through the speakers. The first time it happened they tried to cheer the broody girl up, they were cheerleaders after all, but without avail; the second time Santana started yelling, but seeing as she didn't get any kind of response they left after promising to be back to check in on her the next day. When they arrived the key wasn't anymore in its usual place. Santana took her hand and murmured her to give Quinn space. "She knows we're here for her, she will find us when she needs us."

It was strange being at the party without her. They always went together. They even got the nickname of unholy trinity for that reason. Now a third of it was missing and furthermore she and Santana were stuck in a limbo.

They weren't best friends nor lovers, girlfriends even less.

The situation was starting to fray her nerves. This tiptoeing around each other was frustrating for both. The Latina still hadn't found the courage to show who she truly was to the world. Only when it was just the two of them she was herself. Those moments reminded Brittany why waiting for her was worth the effort.

They were walking side by side in side in silence, both lost in their thoughts. Brittany was shook out of hers when she felt a warm hand wrap tightly around her own. She smiled at the gesture and noticed that Santana was looking at her reaction sidelong. Her smile grew further because it was so rare to see the other girl nervous. It was obvious there was something she wanted to say, but hadn't found the guts to do so yet. She tilted her head showing that she had her undivided attention.

"I wanted to tell you that you looked beautiful tonight." The Latina cleared her throat. "I hadn't had a chance to tell you yet, so…" They both blushed, but luckily it was too dark to see.

"Thank you. You too…" She replied honestly. In that moment she took a decision. "Do you want to sleep over? My family is in Columbus and they aren't getting back before tomorrow evening." She was met with silence and started to regret it. "We can talk…"

Santana tightened her grip to let her know she understood. "It's a good idea, Britt-Britt. Can we make a stop to my house before? I'll leave a note for my parents." She nodded.

The rest of the walk was spent in silence and Brittany was starting to feel jittery. She waited for the other girl to gather her things and smiled at the photo of the glee club at the finals. Santana had started to fulfill her promise: she had finally showed a little bit of her true self.

Two arms wound around her from behind and a light kiss was placed on her neck. This was the closest interaction they had since May. She melted a bit on the inside; she had missed this, their intimacy. She smiled; they would soon be okay again.

The route to Brittany's home was a lot more relaxed, as if they had both realized something they both ignored before.

They went directly to the blonde's room. Brittany exited the bathroom clad in her sleepwear and found in front of her the brunette with a bottle of red wine in one hand and two glasses in the other, a devious smirk on her angelic face. "I found this at home. My parents must have forgotten about it. It would be a sin to let it go to waste."

Used to steal your parent's liquor and climb to the roof

Talk about our future like we had a clue

Never planned that one day I'd be losing you

She shook her head, but her fond smile told otherwise. She took two blankets and motioned to the window before lifting the lid and stepping outside on the roof.

It was their tradition to watch the fireworks together, sitting on the rooftop. They had done so since they were big enough not to give their parents a stroke when they saw them.

However they didn't even notice the sky alight with colors, they were too lost in each other eyes. Wrapped tightly together, warm from the blankets and the wine ingested, they were the happiest they had been in a long time.

When they kissed the sparks they felt had nothing to do with the pyrotechnics exploding above them.

In another life, I would be your girl

We keep all our promises, be us against the world

In another life, I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

The one that got away

They stayed up there on the rooftop the whole night talking about their dreams, their hopes, and their future. They talked about their relationship, deciding to go with the flow; when the moment to define with more clarity what they had came, they would know. It had always been kind of natural between them; one was drawn towards the other and vice versa.

In that instant it seemed it would always be that way. It was like gravity, always there even if you didn't see it.

Neither could know that everything would be soon thrown upside down.

I was June and you were my Johnny Cash

No one without the other, we made a pact

Sometimes when I miss you, I put those records on, woah

Lima, 11th January 2012

Santana hadn't said anything, but since she, Tina, Berry and Wheezy had sung The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face to help Mr. Shue with the proposal she couldn't stop thinking about her future. Their future. Hers and Brittany's. Together. She couldn't stop imagining every detail, every aspect of that life. She had all of it within her reach. She closed her eyes.

If she extended her arm she could almost touch the texture of the comforter that covered their bed. It was light blue to match the walls and because it was the blonde's favorite color. While her old room was dark, this was colorful and bright; while in the previous one she found shelter from the outside world and she hid herself, in this one she found happiness and peace. She could picture an older version of her girlfriend entering the room and giving her a quick peck on the lips with the intimacy only people who have been together for a long time can display. Her style would be eccentric as always, as if the passing time couldn't weaken her uniqueness. She could envision the light glinting off the golden ring on Brittany's hand. The same ring she could perfectly see herself playing with absentmindedly when agitated.

But in another life, I would be your girl

We keep all our promises, be us against the world

In another life, I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

The one that got away

Her heart wouldn't stop beat rapidly inside her ribcage as if it was a hummingbird trying to escape and fly away. This was how being in love felt like. It was the best feeling in the world. She briefly wondered if her Spanish teacher was scared or excited when he decided to propose to Miss Pillsbury or if he was calm and collected because it should have been an ordinary evolution of a relationship.

Santana couldn't stop fidgeting. The more she thought about it and the more it seemed the most obvious choice. She was getting impatient. Tears started falling from her eyes because now she had the possibility to ask that question to the blonde. Their parents accepted their relationship; they would support them through such an important step. Here in Ohio they couldn't marry each other yet, but in New York they could. They had both applied for schools in that area, so if, scratch that, when they got in, they could move there together. Then when the right moment came they could tie the knot.

She smiled, because even if they couldn't get married now, they could promise each other to do so.

The Latina didn't think about a negative response from her girlfriend because she felt how much the blonde loved her and also because her heart couldn't take a refusal.

All this money can't buy me a time machine, no

Can't replace you with a million rings, no

I should'a told you what you meant to me, woah

'Cause now I pay the price

She decided to go the mall; she had been to the jewelry shop when buying Brittany her Christmas present, a pair of earrings, and thus the shop assistants had to remember her without a doubt. How forget her incredible performance with Finn as a clothes tree? She still shuddered every time she recalled her only, luckily for her, encounter with his little branch. Eww.

Anyway a couple of hours should be more than enough to give a look to the rings…and to flirt with the poor clerks. It was so funny to watch them get all flustered and make them swoon.

In another life, I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

She exited the mall with a smile on her face. She had seen the perfect ring. It screamed Brittany. It was peculiar, but elegant and sophisticated at the same time. Furthermore it didn't cost too much and she could afford it because during the past three years she had put a little sum away for emergencies. And this was indeed one.

She was contemplating the best way to ask her parents for their consent, when a note on the kitchen table caught her attention. It had been firmed from both of them. Strange.

[Mija, we are sorry but we both have a late shift so we will not be home until after midnight. Please, do not make plans for tomorrow. We have to talk. Te queremos.]

She frowned. Usually her parents weren't so cryptic, especially not in notes. They consisted of chores for her to do, little reminders to eat or whishes to have a good day. Often they explained they would be home late from work and not to wait for them awake.

But it didn't seem anything bad, mainly because of the 'love you' at the end. Tomorrow was her birthday, thus there couldn't be any chance that something unpleasant was waiting for her. Perhaps they organized a surprise party or probably they wanted to make a speech on the responsibility that comes with adulthood…blah blah blah. Knowing them she leant towards the last option. Besides worrying solved nothing. Now she had an imaginary wedding to plan. And she had to wear her new dress because at the stroke of midnight she might receive a blonde present to unwrap.

New York, November 2016

The one that got away

The last note was followed by a thunderous applause. She accepted the praise with a smile, but Quinn could see from the sideline that her lips trembled a little and that her blue eyes were glossy from unshed tears. It was evident that the song had a meaning for the dancer and that it brought out a few ghosts back in the open.

Jess, as if in tune with the teacher's thoughts, stepped onto the stage and caught the general attention. "No, it's my turn. So shoo." He began jokingly pushing the blonde away, but she continued slipping from his grip to the amusement of her students. He called her over. "Now with the help of these two wonderful ladies" Some of the female students swooned at his charm. "I'll show you what true music is."

The beat of the drum was unmistakable.

Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on yo' face
You big disgrace
Kickin' your can all over the place

He strolled all over the stage. The audience was starting to get into it, clapping along to the rhythm. On the chorus the two blondes joined him.

We will
we will rock you

Soon after everyone was singing to the lyrics and jumping around to the rhythm. They obviously were having fun.

After it ended Quinn addressed her students. "Who wants to join?" Several hands were raised. "Have you got any questions?" A couple of them remained up in the air.

"Yes, Steph?"

"How does it work? Do we get to decide the songs or you choose them?"

"Every week I'll select a theme, a topic around which center our focus. You will pick the songs, but I will have to approve. I can't you sing something…" She paused. "Let's say too risqué." Some sniggered.

She gave her attention to another student. "Yes, Sam?"

"Do we all have to sing and dance?" He seemed embarrassed. "I can't dance."

"You don't have to do anything you aren't confortable to, but I'm sure a bit of practice won't hurt." A few girls nodded, thinking about their terrible dance partners during the prom. "At rehearsal all of you will get the change to sing, taking turns, but during official performances I will choose who gets the solos. You have to deserve them, to prove your making an effort to improve. Anything else?"

She looked around but they seemed satisfied. "The ones of you who want to join have to be here next Monday sharp at two. Okay?" A chorus of yes followed the question and the students started to clear the room. The three adults were left alone.

Jess decided it was best to leave before the two blondes posed uncomfortable questions he couldn't give the answers to. "Sadly I have a previous engagement I can't absolutely miss, so it's better if I get going. It's has been a pleasure seeing you again. Brittany, Quinn." He sent a subtle but meaningful glance to the last.

"Thanks, Jess."

"Bye." The taller girl waved.

Once alone she turned to the teacher. "How did you get him to come? I didn't know you kept in touch…" She wore a perplexed expression.

"We have a friend in common, and he owed her a favor." She tried to keep it vague, but the dancer pressed on.

"Who?"

Quinn decided to change tactic. "Sorry B, but I have a lesson to prepare. Is it okay if we talk about it at home?"

"Sure. See you later, Q."

"Later, Britt. And thanks." They exchanged a quick hug.

"I had fun." And with a last wave she left the room.

Quinn had to create a good explanation before the evening; the other girl never forgot anything. Especially when something piqued her interest. She sighed. The things you do for your friends…

Santana was reading a file regarding her latest case when a senior partner called her.

"Good afternoon, Santana."

"Good afternoon to you too, Mr. Rogers."

"I will arrive directly to the point. I have a favor to ask you."

"You can count on me. What is it?"

"I have two reservations for a theatrical show this Saturday, but I have to attend to case in New Orleans and I won't be able to get back until Monday. It could be a great chance for you. A big client of ours is a great musical fan, so accompanying him and his wife and engaging in small conversation could ensure us his favors. I know you are well versed on the argument. You're friend with Jess St. James, right?" She nodded and he continued. "Furthermore there was the after party that was quite the perfect location where to find new potential clients. Can you do what I asked you to?"

"Without a doubt, Mr. Rogers. I won't disappoint you."

He smiled. "Perfect. And bring a date, please."

"Sure, Mr. Rogers. I have a friend of mine who is the perfect person to make a good impression."

He acknowledged her answer with a nod of his head and let her to her work.

She called Quinn. "Hello? Hey Q. Are you free Friday?" She waited. "Perfect. I have two seats for a musical, do you want accompany me?" She listened to the blonde's questions. "No, I have no idea about which one is yet. I'll let you know when I get the details, okay? Bye, Q."

She leant against the back of the chair. Soon she could go home and relax a bit; it had been an eventful day.

She was ready to turn off the computer when an email arrived. She skipped through the contents, but did a double take. Staring in black and white back at her there was a name she hadn't heard of in a while.

…

Starring

Rachel Barbra Berry

…

Things were going to become interesting.