Hey! Here's the next chapter, I am sorry for any mistakes, I haven't had a chance to read through since I wanted to get this chapter up as soon as possible because I'm going away tomorrow and wont have internet connection for a week! Sucks right? I will hopefully be able to write another chapter, maybe two while I'm away so we'll see how it goes. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and I promise the next chapter after this will be happier then the recent ones!

See you all soon! Enjoy!

Chapter 23

"You look so hot right now." Quinn gasped as she walked into the changing room of the shop they had decided to get ready in – obviously the shop assistants didn't know or they would have been thrown out by now – and helped Brittany to clip her hair up. The dark green dress she wore hugged her curves perfectly and made her blue eyes stand out amazingly against it. She really did look hot.

"Thanks, Q. You do too. We better hurry up though if we want to make it in time, I called my mom and she said she would come so I told her to be there for nine so we can tell everyone else before they arrive, that way there won't be any freak outs or anything like that." Brittany didn't know whether to smile about that or not, she did miss her parents, she was used to talking to them almost every day but she didn't know how to feel about them now after what had happened the last time she had seen them. There were parts of her that loved them so much for being her parents and being there for her through her life but then there was the part at the back of her mind that wanted to scream and punch them in the face so hard that they wouldn't be able to talk for a year… but yeah… she loved them.

"Well come on then, let's go!" Quinn cheered as she clutched Brittany by her hand and they raced out of the shop and towards the car. Brittany bounced up and down in her seat as the got closer and closer to the house. The anticipation was killing her, she couldn't wait to see everyone, she could wait to open gifts – granted she was a bit old for that kind of stuff now but who was judging? And she definitely couldn't wait to spend her birthday with her girlfriend. Her lips curled up into a small smile at the thought.

"What's got you all smug?" Quinn nudged Brittany's shoulder as they turned into Rachel's street. Brittany just shrugged as she looked out of the window.

"I'm just excit-" she didn't get a chance to finish that sentence… her voice caught in her throat and she felt like her lungs had begun to crush themselves inside of her chest. What were they doing here? They weren't meant to be here yet. This could not be happening.

As Quinn pulled to a stop in front of the Berry house, Brittany threw herself out of the door and sprinted as best as she could up to the front door of the house. She slammed threw the door and came to a sudden halt when she was met by the faces of everyone she had invited, including her parents.

"Thank god!" Santana shouted exasperatedly as she threw her hands in the air. "Britt, tell me what the hell your parents are doing here?" Brittany looked around the room at everyone else; she could see the angry looks and knew that they had all been arguing… when Brittany didn't answer Santana gave her a confused look. "Britt?" she asked quietly.

"I invited them…" Brittany whispered. She looked down to the ground to avoid the angry and hurt gaze of her girlfriend.

"What?" Santana asked just loud enough for people to here but everyone could clearly hear the hurt sound in her voice. "Why didn't you tell me?" Brittany looked back up to see a light layer of tears filling her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Quinn just convinced me earlier and I was going to tell you before they got here but… they shouldn't be here now. They're early…" Brittany couldn't keep her own sadness out of her voice now; she hated being the cause of the Latina's tears. "I'm sorry." She whispered again.

Santana just shook her head and turned to walk through to the kitchen, leaving everyone else to get on with the party. "Alright everyone, there's nothing to see here." Quinn shouted as she turned to the stereo to turn up the music. "Let's have some fun!" She tried to get everyone's attention so that Brittany's parents weren't been stared at like they belonged in a freak show and twirled her girlfriend around before dancing along with everyone else to the music.

Brittany finally turned to her parents who were just standing there like nothing had just happened. "What the hell?" Brittany snapped. The anger in the back of her mind quickly pushed its way to the front to fuel her words. "I said nine! It's not even eight yet. I wanted to make sure my friends were okay with you being here before you arrived." The blonde shot her parents an icy glare.

"We wanted to surprise you; we didn't expect to be ambushed by a herd of sweaty teenagers." Her father mumbled as he sent an annoyed look over his shoulder at the rest of the party dancing. "I don't see why Santana got so upset about us being here though. She looked ready to kill." He turned back to his daughter and handed her a birthday card.

"Happy birthday, sweetie." Her mother pulled her into a hug but Brittany's body tensed at the touch. She quickly pulled away and gave her parents a bemused look. Why were they being so nice to her after the way they had acted the last time she had seen them? She really couldn't understand it. Maybe it was too soon to see them again, she was just so angry and if she wanted to have a civil conversation with them, then now wasn't the time.

"I'm going to go and check on Santana and make sure she hasn't broken anything… you stay here and talk to the Berry's." she pointed over to Rachel's parents who just stood there looking kind of uncomfortable where they were before she marched off towards her destination.

Santana slammed a dirty dish into the sink full of water causing it to splash down the front of her dress. "Fuck!" she spat out as she reached for a cloth to wipe it up. She didn't know why she was so angry, she just felt that she had a right to know considering the reason the blonde hadn't spoken to her parents in so long was fifty per cent her fault. It had also been her idea for the blonde to actually talk to her parents, she felt that she had a right to know and be there, with Brittany, holding her hand when she decided she was ready. But maybe the fact that she had so much on her mind anyway was affecting her hormones…

"San?" the soft voice came from no less than a couple of inches behind her. She jumped slightly at the closeness but instead of turning around to snap at the familiar voice, she leaned back and relaxed into the blonde's perfect body as she circled her arms around Santana's waist. All anger and annoyance quickly dissipated with Brittany's sweet touch. The Latina turned to face Brittany but quickly buried her face into the crook of her neck as a sudden and unexpected wave of tears shook through her body. "What's wrong baby? I'm sorry about not telling you about my-"

Santana shook her head to silence the blonde. "It's not that..." she paused to take in a deep breath to even out her sobs. "I don't even know why I'm angry; I don't know why I'm crying. I don't know anything anymore…" Brittany tightened her grip around the crying brunette and pulled her tighter to her chest.

"Baby, look at me." Brittany placed a finger under the girls chin so that they made eye contact. Piercing blue met chocolate brown as they drowned in each other's gazes. "Do you still love me?"

Santana's eyes widened like it was the most ludicrous question ever asked in the history of mankind. "Of course I do! Why would you ask me something like that?"

Brittany just smiled. "Then you do know something, you know you love me and I know I love you. What else matters as long as we have each other?" Brittany stated.

Santana knew that the blonde was right. Brittany saw the simplest things that the average human would just shrug off or ignore for being so blatantly obvious. She wouldn't see the negatives but only the positives; there was nothing bad in Brittany's mind, only good. It was one of the reasons Santana was so completely in love with this woman. "You're a genius, Brittany." Santana leaned up and pressed a loving kiss to blonde's lips as she entwined their fingers together by their sides. Brittany giggled as the corners of her lips turned up into a smile against Santana's. The Latina slid her hand into the long blonde locks and pulled her closer. "I love you."

Brittany's legs wobbled at Santana's words and had to press the Latina hard against the worktop to steady herself. "I love you too." She moaned into Santana's mouth and began to trail her hands up the Latina's thighs and firmly cupped her butt. Santana groaned in response to the blonde's words as her grip tightened around her neck.

"I need you." Santana moaned as her hips bucked roughly into Brittany's bare thigh that was wedged in between her own. "Now…" she grunted as Brittany began to respond to her words.

"Not here, anyone could walk in on us."

Santana shook her head however, "I can't wait any longer, please, Brittany." She bucked her hips harder into the blonde. Brittany pulled out of the kiss only to latch on to the Latina's pulse point causing Santana to moan loudly. That was all the conformation the Latina needed before she began to rapidly grind her core against Brittany. Loud moans filled the kitchen; they were so loud that it completely drowned out the sound of the music in the other room.

"Oh… Santana." Brittany's hips began to reciprocate the Latina's movements as an almost painful pounding surged her on.

"What the hell?" a voice from the doorway halted Brittany and Santana's actions. Brittany's head whipped around at the sound of her mother's voice. She felt the blood drain from her face, her whole body stiffened and a heavy lump formed in her throat.

"Mom…" she pulled away from Santana as she flattened out her dress and pulled it back down to cover her thighs.

"Are you two," Susan waved her hand from side to side in front of her daughter and Santana. "Dating?" she asked with a shocked but almost scared tone. Neither girl answered however, both too embarrassed and frozen to form words. Before anything else was said the older woman stormed out of the kitchen with a bright red face. It was hard to tell if she was angry or just embarrassed about what she had just walked in on.

"Mom, wait!" Brittany shouted as she raced out after her mother with Santana close behind her. They wound their way through the dancing people. Susan already stood next to Lucas as they both slid their arms into their jackets. "You can't leave yet, I haven't seen you in-"

Lucas held up a hand to silence his daughter, his face was contorted into a look of pure disgust. "Save it, Brittany. We don't want to hear it. You lied to us." his eyes flickered to the Latina just behind his daughter.

"No I never!" Brittany protested and took a step forward. "We weren't together the last time you saw us." She couldn't keep the pain from lacing her words, she didn't want her parents to hate her, she didn't want to watch them leave and never talk to her again just like Quinn's parents and Santana's mother had. She needed them. She still loved them and to her nothing would change that. "Why are you doing this?" she shouted as they walked down the garden towards their car.

Susan snapped around startling the blonde to a halt. "Because, Brittany, you are choosing to live your life like this!" she pointed at the Latina who stood in the doorway of the house and then back to her daughter. "It's not right!" she quickly walked round to the passenger side of the car and climbed in before she slammed the door shut, the sound sent a harsh shiver down Brittany's spine. Just as Lucas was about to pull off into the road, Brittany lunged onto the hood of the car as tears poured from her eyes ruining her makeup, black streams of mascara trailed down her cheeks and dripped onto her chest. "Don't go please! You're my parents. I love you!" she all but screamed at the people sitting in the car but they both diverted their eyes.

"Get off Brittany. We don't want to hear anything else. Don't call us or try to contact us in anyway. Good bye." Lucas stated through his open window. Brittany shook her head furiously as the tears refused to come to a stop but was quickly pulled off the car by a firm pair of arms. She refused to stop protesting though, and kept kicking out wildly as she called after the car that was slowly disappearing down the street. She punched at the arms holding her, she begged for them to put her down but the hold around her didn't loosen.

"Don't go." She sobbed out.

She finally turned around to see Mike holding her up off the ground with Santana and Quinn by his side. "Put me down." She begged and looked Mike right in the eyes. No one could resist those eyes. He looked hesitant at first but when he knew that the car was completely out of sight he set her down. She stumbled slightly as she walked back up to the house followed by the tall boy, she ignored Santana and Quinn but when she felt a hand rest on her bicep she snatched it back and snapped, "Don't touch me! Don't talk to me. Just leave me alone." She diverted her eyes from her girlfriend who looked completely heart broken. There was too much anger raging through her body right now and she was scared that if she spoke to her girlfriend, she would say something she really would regret.

Santana did as she was told and took a step back and watched as Brittany cried her way back up to the house. "What can I do, Q?"

"Nothing, she just needs some space for now but she will definitely need you sooner or later, you're really all she has left, San." Quinn wrapped an arm around Santana's waist but Santana wouldn't move. She was frozen in her spot with what Quinn had just told her. She really was all that Brittany had left. Her parents had completely abandoned her and she didn't have any other siblings to turn to. So what was going to happen to the blonde when it was Santana's turn to leave her? How would Brittany last on her own?

Quinn stared at the Latina with curiosity. "San?" she asked softly not wanting to startle the girl from her weird trance like state.

"Swear to me, Quinn. Swear to me that you will look after Brittany." Quinn looked completely terrified by Santana's request, she couldn't move her mind seemed muddled by all the things she wanted to say and do. She wanted to tell Santana to stop being ridiculous and slap her silly. She wanted to shake her until she saw sense but nothing worked, her muscles had cramped. "I know I've asked you this before but that was just a precaution in case this really was going to happen. But we both know now what the inevitable will be. You said it yourself; I'm all she has left. Please. Quinn." Santana's voice was frantic now, her whole body shook and her hands gripped around Quinn's wrists. "Quinn!" Santana shouted when the blonde didn't answer her.

"Santana…" Quinn muttered, she didn't want to promise her this. She didn't want to admit that Santana was right. She didn't want to lose her best friend. When Santana shot her a stern look, Quinn quickly nodded her head. "I will, I won't let anyone hurt her, I'll make sure she stays safe and I promise that I will always be there for her, Santana. You can trust me." Both girls wanted to cry. They wanted to let all of their emotions just run free but it seemed lately that that's all anyone had been doing. They needed to stay strong. They both knew the end was coming and there was nothing they could do about that.

"Thank you." Santana pulled her best friend into a tight embrace. Quinn shivered as the cold began to get to her. "Come on, we need to get Britt's birthday cake sorted." Santana smiled and tugged Quinn up the pathway towards the house.

Brittany downed her fourth shot, she had stopped feeling the burning sensation in the back of her throat after her second and now she just felt numb. She had a half empty bottle of vodka in her empty hand and took sips of it in between her shots. Maybe if she got drunk she wouldn't have to feel the pain anymore. There was way too many emotions racing through her right now and all she wanted was a break from it all, she just wanted to have some fun. It was her birthday after all.

She pulled Rachel into the living room and began to dance with her. They giggled at each other and when the small brunette pulled faces, Brittany would break out into full on laughter, tears rolled down her cheeks and she would gasp for air. Rachel knew that this happiness was mainly supported by the alcohol but at least she wasn't heartbroken about her parents leaving her anymore.

Out of the corner of her eye, Brittany spotted her Latina walk in through the front door and quickly stumbled over to meet her. "I'm sorry, baby…" she slurred as she wrapped her arms around Santana's small frame. "I love you so much I didn't mean to snap at you before I just didn't want to say something stupid…" she paused to make sure what she was saying didn't sound completely ridiculous in her drunken state. "Come dance with me?" she pouted sweetly and batted her eyelashes.

Santana just chuckled and how adorable Brittany was being and pecked the blonde's lips sweetly. "You're very drunk." She stated the obvious while Brittany just rolled her eyes with a growing grin. "I can't, I have to go and sort something in the kitchen… I'll be right back I promise." She added quickly and guided Brittany back over to where Rachel was standing with Kurt and Blaine. "Keep an eye on her, Berry." She ordered before racing off to the kitchen to light the candles on the cake.

Brittany had somehow managed to find herself a beer and was taking regular swigs as she danced with Blaine but when the lights suddenly witched off and the room was engulfed into complete darkness, it dropped to the ground and a scared squeak came from the blonde's lips. Blaine slipped his hand into hers to reassure her and she squeezed it tightly back. The whole room erupted into a chorus of Happy Birthday, Rachel's voice was louder than the rest and she sang like her life depended on it. Brittany just rolled her eyes but smiled none the less but she could practically feel the irritation radiate off some of her ex school friends.

Her eyes immediately zoned in on her girlfriend who was carrying a cake out through the door with Quinn following behind her, both of them wore beaming smiles. A candle shaped like the number twenty was lit in the centre of the cake with five or so around the edge. Brittany's smile grew by one hundred per cent as she saw the picture that was carefully designed on the top with icing. "Babe…" she giggled knowing fine well that the Latina had made this herself. All off the negative emotions Brittany's mind was harbouring were soon forgotten when a proud smile formed on Santana's lips and she mouthed the words 'I hope you like it' with a shy but flirtatious wink to the blonde.

"I love you, Brittany. Now blow out the candles and make a wish." Everyone clapped and cheered as Brittany leaned forward to blow out the candles. She closed her eyes tightly shut.

I wish I could spend the rest of my life with Santana by my side.

She thought as every candle flickered out with one blow and little streams of smoke rose up into the already clammy room. Quinn took the cake from Santana's hands and carried it back into the kitchen. The Latina took a couple of steps forward and tightly wrapped her arms around Brittany's neck so she could pull the blonde forward to press their lips firmly together. "Happy birthday, baby. I love you so much." She mumbled, not removing her lips from Brittany's.

"I love you so much more." Brittany replied as she began to sway their bodies back and forth in time to the music. Neither Santana nor Brittany could hear or see anything or anyone but each other. No one else mattered, not when all they needed and wanted was standing in their arms. "Best birthday ever." Brittany managed to slur out into Santana's ear.

"Really? Even after what happened before." Santana asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That doesn't matter now, I have all my friends surrounding me and all I need is you, which I do, so that makes me happy. I would have even been happy if we had spent today wrapped up in bed together because anywhere with you is perfect." Brittany smiled sweetly down at the Latina in her arms; she meant every word of what she had just said even through her drunken haze. She rubbed their noses together sweetly before crushing their lips together in a hungry kiss.

"How's about we take this upstairs?" Santana husked into Brittany's mouth. Brittany didn't have to give an answer; she just let the Latina drag her out the door and up the stairs and towards their bedroom. She was in for a night of crazy hot birthday sex and everyone knows birthday sex is the best…