Heya! Okay, so I'm too in love with my characters to let them only last 8 chapters so there will be more. Plus, the next chapter was getting too long and there is so much I need them all to go through before the end. This chapter introduces a familiar friend, that I do not own but wish I did. I hope you like her story. Enjoy!

Santana was always telling me that my kindness could sometimes be my worst trait. She would always remind me of this when I asked too many people over for dinner and the stress would just rocket out the roof. Or if I took on too many jobs at work because other people couldn't and then I would complain even though it had been my decision to offer.

Now was one of those times. I could just hear Santana's beautiful voice whispering to me as we fell asleep, in my head, "Leave your kindness for yourself, baby. You don't need to share it all the time."

Rachel Berry was sat at my kitchen island, drinking the largest mug of tea I think I have ever made. It wasn't even herbal. What had happened to this girl?

"Is that okay?" I asked, sitting opposite her.

"Lovely, thank you."

I smiled, sort of, and began sipping my coffee.

This was the weirdest thing ever. This girl, who had been so over the top and diva that she had began to irritate even me, was sat in my kitchen, drinking normal tea and not even muttering a single word.

Where was all the singing?

I smiled at her again, to try and encourage her to talk. It wasn't right that Rachel Berry was so quiet. I'd asked her back to mine because she'd looked so sad leaving the studio this evening. It had been a late one and I hated the thought of her walking home alone. So I'd offered a place for a while. No big deal really.

"Rachel, are you-"

"Yes." She replied before I'd even finished the question. I frowned. She was looking at me with those big brown eyes, like she was so afraid I was going to burn them and blinked several times all in one row. She looked down again. "Yes, I am okay."

I understood. "Really?"

She looked up again and without saying another word, shook her head so lightly, it barely even moved.

I tilted my head and frowned. "But you're living your dream."

She smiled a little at that. "True."

"Then what?"

"Then..." She looked really lost. "Then I guess it's just life, right?"

This was harder than I originally thought.

"You always do too much for people, B." Santana's voice breezed through my head again.

"Have you got a boyfriend?" I asked, even though I knew the answer already.

"No,"

"Seeing someone?"

"No,"

"Dating?"

"Brittany, no."

I stopped.

"Look," She said, placing her tea on the island table. "I'm divorced, okay?"

I gasped like it was fresh gossip. It was so high school. It made me giggle inside. "From who?"

She opened her mouth a little as if she couldn't quite believe I'd asked that. She closed it quickly before mumbling something I didn't quite catch.

"Who, sorry?"

She sighed, grumbling about something again.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I backed down. "Just thought it might be easier seeing as we're working so closely together. And that I haven't seen you in years."

She looked defeated. "Okay, I'm going to tell you in one big go so that I don't have to repeat myself and so that you don't ask any more questions." She looked down briefly. "It's the questions I can't stand."

I smiled, congratulating myself inside.

"So," Rachel began, placing both her hands around her steaming mug. "I left Ohio straight after senior year, you know that, to come here and study at NYADA." She was sounding so matter of fact it made me want to laugh. I wasn't interviewing her. "I had a great time, I adored all my classes, I worshipped every lecturer I ever had and I had the best three years of my life there."

I watched as she bit down on her lip and breathed in deeply.

"But I'd been apart from Finn for so long that..."

It finally clicked. Oh Finn.

"That what?" I whispered.

"That when we met up again, it wasn't the same. We were still together but it wasn't the same." She wiped an invisible hair from her face and continued. "Finn moved to New York with me so that I could work on my career and be the star that he kept telling me I was. But then-"

"I'm sorry," I interrupted, frowning lightly. "I never knew what Finn did after high school. Where was he when you were here?"

Rachel looked so upset I thought I'd asked the wrong thing. Had I?

"He trained." I knitted my brow together, not really getting it. Anyone can train for anything.

"For what?"

"The army."

My breath must have hitched in my throat because she gave me one of those funny looks when people don't really understand your reactions to certain things. Like you had cream on your nose or something. She didn't know about Santana, I realised. It made my stomach quench together and I thought I was going to vomit.

Shit.

This was the worst idea I'd ever had.

I gripped the side of my mug, desperately trying to get why Rachel Berry and I had far more in common than we first realised. I tried coughing but it didn't help. So, instead, I turned back to Rachel and tried to give her one of my smiles.

I failed miserably.

"Brittany?"

"Yeah?" I managed, fighting back the tears that were threatening my eyes.

What the fuck was wrong with us all? Why did we ever think leaving Ohio was going to bring us happiness when all the fuck it did was make us sadder and lonelier than ever?

And why the fuck was I swearing so much?

"Are you okay?"

"Sure. Carry on." I realised I was being such a hypocrite digging out Rachel's life and not letting her into mine. I suddenly felt like I didn't actually want to hear the rest of the small brunette's story.

She looked uneasy but continued nonetheless. "So for the first year after Finn's training, we lived here and he didn't have to leave or anything like that. That was a great year too because we rekindled everything we thought we'd lost and fell in love all over again." She leant down on the counter and I had to inhale deeply so that I wouldn't cry. "But then he had to go and he couldn't tell me where and I was so angry and so hurt because why? Why couldn't he tell me where he was going?"

I looked down, knowing any minute the tears would just spill everywhere.

"He was gone for a couple of months and when he returned, it was the same as the last year. We fell in love again and again. So when we were twenty-five, we got married in Ohio. It was beautiful. He went away again and when he came home, I told him we were going to have a baby. He was so happy when he went out again. And then he came home much later than usual and missed Kirsty's birth. This went on for ages. You know, it became my life. We moved away from New York, only visiting if I had an event to attend, which wasn't often because moving away and having Kirsty cut my career short. And as he continued to leave for a few months at a time, the falling in love kind of stopped and by the time we were thirty-five, I had to stop it. I had to ask him to come home and never leave again."

The tears fell now and I wasn't sure if she thought it was because of her story or whether she'd figured out Santana wasn't here yet. The pain that shot thorough me cut really deep and it was only when Rachel started speaking again that I realised it was because they were the living reminder that most families break down because of the army.

Because of war.

Shit.

"But he didn't want to." Rachel said. "He said his life was the army and that he had a duty to America and I didn't fit into that." She paused, her lips beginning to wobble. "But Kirsty did. He said he didn't want to come home to someone who didn't appreciate his life and he asked me to leave. That's how I ended up back here because I thought I might as well try again. Try at what I love. But I miss them. I miss them so much."

If Rachel hadn't got over missing Finn for the six years they'd been divorced, I had no chance at this in the future.

My heart ached more than it ever had before. I couldn't imagine my life without Santana. I would die if she got angry if I asked her to come home. Leave the army and stay with us.

Oh fuck.

"Brittany?"

My head shot up and with it, all the tears splayed across my cheeks.

"I didn't mean for you to cry."

I looked away and pinched my lips together. "Yeah," I breathed, "I know."

"Have I said too much?"

Maybe.

"No."

"Where's Santana?" She asked. I knew it was coming.

"Away." I said, still looking out the window.

"Where?"

I pinched my lips tighter and before I could ask, the front door whooshed open and in stumbled all three of my kids into the kitchen. I could tell Rachel was taken aback when she saw Renata. I'd just told her Santana was away and in walks the spitting image of her.

"Mom?" Will questioned, frowning. He saw my tears.

"Honey, can you take Ellie upstairs to her room please?" I asked, trying to smile at him. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Sure," He nodded, taking my little girl's hand upstairs.

Renata looked at me, something between panic and exhaustion written all over her face. She looked like she was torn – like she didn't know what to do. I smiled gently at her and looked at the kitchen island, waiting for her to leave. If I spoke, I would break down properly.

I could see Renata eyeing Rachel from the corner of my eye and I prayed to God she wouldn't pounce on her like Santana.

"Mom?" She whispered, walking towards me. She stopped when she got to my hands and placed hers on top. She waited but I just couldn't speak.

"Love you," She said, before kissing my cheek, placing something on the island and leaving the room.

Rachel's mouth was still open.

"Your kids..." She gasped, turning to face me. "Are beautiful."

I couldn't help but smile through my pain. "Thank you." I managed.

"They're lovely, Brittany." Rachel continued to compliment, leaning closer to me.

I smiled even further and managed to pull myself together enough to look up and talk again. I took several deep breaths and counted to ten.

"I'm sorry, you were saying?"

Rachel frowned at me and gently said, "I asked where Santana was."

I had to answer. I couldn't avoid this question. Next time my Latina told me to stop being so kind I would actually listen to her. I really would.

"She's on the frontline."

Rachel gasped for the second time that night. I could feel the silence as well as hear it.

"Look, Rachel, I'm sorry I'm like this, I just wasn't expecting you to tell me what you did." I felt the need to explain my behaviour. She just remained silent.

You could cut the tension with a knife. More than a knife. A fucking machete.

Santana had originally joined the army to get rid of her tension. To get rid of all the baggage she had carried around with her since she was little. All the nasty things people said to her and about her and all the things she'd said wrongly to other people. I had admired her so much at the time.

I still do. I just want her home.

"I am so sorry."

"Rachel, don't be. It was my fault for bringing it up."

I gulped down the remainder of my coffee and shoved the mug in the sink. Rachel was still looking apologetic.

"Seriously, Rachel." I almost begged. "We have common ground, hey?"

She cocked her head in sympathy and smiled the smallest smile I'd ever seen on her face.

"I'm glad you have your children to keep you sane and happy." She offered.

I grunted a little too sarcastically. "Yeah, they're amazing but they don't keep me sane."

"No?"

"How can anything when we're going through something like this?" I said, leaning back into the kitchen side. "Rachel, is it easier now that you're not with Finn?"

Her features hardened. "Yes and no."

"How?"

"Yes because I don't have the worry anymore and I can concentrate on me."

I snorted a little.

"And no because I miss my daughter."

I frowned.

"When Finn and I broke up, Kirsty was nine." Rachel explained. "For the first three years, I had her whilst Finn was away and then he saw her when he came home, either in New York or Ohio depending on school terms. But Finn met someone else, and he was home for a good six months. Kirsty spent a lot of time with him during that time and she got close to his girlfriend and when she was thirteen, she decided to stay in Ohio with them."

I bit my lip and cocked my head sympathetically.

"I tried to see her as much as I could but she made it quite clear I wasn't needed in her life anymore." Rachel looked down. "I'm not sure if it was her, the girlfriend or Finn who eventually convinced her to never speak to me again."

I shook my head at how dramatic and sad all our lives had become since leaving Ohio.

"I wonder if the rest of Glee club's lives turned out so miserable." I joked, smiling a little at Rachel. She smiled back.

I watched her finish her tea and then I showed her to the door, apologising for the way I had acted. She told me not to worry and that we should do this more often and gain comfort from each other.

But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that I'd enjoy it, a huge part of me was still anxiously panicking about my future with Santana and her life with the army.

I just couldn't live without her. I couldn't live the life Rachel is living. I would die.

As I opened the front door, Quinn was standing right on the other side, a very angry Kelly standing behind her. I didn't think I could deal with them right now. It had been a long night and all I wanted to do was curl up with Renata in her bed.

"I'm sorry for coming so late," Quinn started, not making a move to come in, "Kelly and I were just passing by and I wanted her to meet you properly."

I cocked my head, totally bewildered by Quinn's explanation. "Um, okay, let me get Rachel out the door first."

"Oh okay, I'm sorry, I-" Quinn stopped mumbling when she saw who I meant. Her face dropped several inches and her eyes popped out of her head. I watched as her the hazel orbs ran down every part of Rachel's body and back up to her face, taking in the brunette's new look. "Berry," She breathed, frowning, "When did you get so hot?"

I choked at Quinn's words, stifling a giggle when Rachel huffed and said, "Nice to see you too, Quinn."

"And what are you doing here?" The blonde asked, unable to retain her smile.

"I live here, Quinn."

"No, shortie." She chuckled. "I mean why you are here? At Brittany's?"

"Brittany happens to me my dance teacher currently."

Quinn chuckled again. "No way."

Rachel nodded. "And she's very good."

"Awesome." Quinn smiled sweetly at Rachel.

"Okay, Mom, you can quit the dyke looks." Kelly piped up from behind Quinn.

"Kelly! What have I said about that word?" Quinn scolded, only half turning to her daughter. "Look, this better be quick," She said, speaking to me. "I'll come round another time. And ask Rachel." She eyes the brunette again. "I'd love to catch up with you."

And then they were gone.

After Rachel had gone, I couldn't help but wonder why on earth Quinn had been so nice to her. And why on earth she'd flirted with the girl more obviously than Puck in high school.

And after Quinn had gone, I couldn't help but think actually how lucky Santana and I were to have such amazing kids as our three.

And after everything that had happened, I still couldn't help but remain in my state of sadness as if nothing had actually changed.

...

The stars lit up the sky that night. They were brighter than I'd ever really seen them. They shone down on me like the diamonds that draped Marilyn Monroe's body. They were so beautiful, all the way up there in that deep blue canopy.

They distracted me from the evening I'd had. They sparkled at me – the kind of sparkle that graces Renata's eyes when she lets down her guard and bares her soul to the world. The kind of sparkle that was so rare, when it happened, it made you feel like you were God. Like you had a reason to be there, at that moment.

The kind of sparkle that Forever is made of.

I could pick out each star individually. Name it, if I wanted. I was always good with names and telling things apart. My mom was a pet sitter when I was growing up and every time she got a new animal, the first thing I would ask was "what's it's name?" My family would always laugh at me. I would get so excited, often borrowing some of my favourite names to use in the stories Santana and I would make up as kids.

We would do that a lot – make up stories. We would sit on Santana's roof and stare up at the stars, picking out shapes and creating characters out of them. Usually, the only thing Santana could ever see was a tree. And as we grew up, that shape changed from the tree to a snake, to a lion to a bear print and to a wolf. And when we were teenagers, she always used to say she could just see a guy's dick. One night, she changed it to a heart but then it went back to the dick. I always assumed it was Puck's.

When we got too old, she told me all she could see was a star and I'd laughed and told her that's because that is what they were but she had already grown up by then. She'd grown bored of our game.

I thought our game had been over and she would never play again because she was so sad and so guarded – so much like Renata. But then she surprised me one night when we were about eighteen and she invited me over, took me by the hand and led me to her roof, completely in silence which I knew meant she was nervous. I wish I'd known why back then but I'd been so wrapped up in trying to make her smile for the past three years that I barely gave it a second thought.

She lay down and didn't say anything for nearly an hour. I thought about asking her what we were doing, or picking out a shape in the stars but we hadn't done it in so long that I just assumed she simply wanted to lay there.

But before I could even pick out a shape, she sat up so fast I thought she was going to fall off the roof.

"There!" She said, grabbing my wrist and sitting me up next to her. "Did you see it?"

"See what?" I said.

"The shooting star!"

She had been so excited that I'd giggled at her. Her eyes, when she turned back to look at me, were like Renata's. Sparkling because she'd seen something beautiful.

"Britt," She whispered, leaning over me so I had no choice but to lie back down on the roof. Her whole body hovered over me and her face was so close that I could taste her breath on the tips of my lips. I'd never seen her eyes sparkle so much. They were like the shooting star we'd just seen.

"Would it scare you if I said the only thing I've ever seen in the stars is..." She paused, searching my eyes for any fear. Taking another breath, she finished, "...Is you?"

I smiled.

No – I grinned.

"And that," Santana continued, grinning back at me, "seeing you in the stars is like seeing Forever. And each star is a glimpse into our Forever. My beautiful Forever with you."

I hadn't worked out until at that moment that Santana's eyes had always been sparkling because she was always looking at something beautiful.

"You could never scare me, San." I'd said, pulling her closer to me.

She had smiled then. That smile that always gave me butterflies.

The stars always saved my Santana.

Looking at them tonight, though, they were shining even brighter than they had been that night. Almost like Santana was amongst them and she was pulling each star out separately, presenting them to me and reminding me of a Forever with her.

I caught one that was flashing in the corner of my eye.

"Would you like to come and ride your bicycle with me, Brittany? We can cycle and cycle Forever if you'd like?"

Another one twinkled straight ahead of me.

"We're like the fox and the hound. We'll always be best friends, Britt, Forever and ever."

A few sparkled above that one.

"I wish I could live Forever with you."

"If we could build a time machine, we could keep travelling back and forth Forever."

"I bet Neverland is Forever far away. Shall we fly there together, Britt?"

I took in as many as I could, closing my eyes and basking in the sunlight of these beautiful memories.

"I'll never leave you at school; I'll stay with you Forever."

"We have all the time in the world. Forever, even."

"I promise Forever is endless, B."

"Always smile Forever."

"You are Forever beautiful."

"We'll be together Forever."

"Forever is written in the sky, B. It's painted all over the universe, engraved on your heart and mine until the end of time and more. You and me... we're Forever. We'll always be Forever."

When I opened my eyes, I saw it, clearer than the brightest November morning or the bluest of oceans.

Forever. Written in the sky.

I smiled, knowing Santana was out there, somewhere, watching the stars too.

Forever, San, I thought, sending it up into the sky so she could see it from where she was.

And from exactly where I was standing and looking into the night sky, I saw the sparkle of Santana's words echo back to me, engraving my heart and telling me what I always loved to hear.

Forever, B.

...

It couldn't have been magic. And it couldn't have been fake. It was there, clearer than the brightest November morning or the bluest of oceans. I saw it.

Forever, San.

From where I was lying, on the sand in front of my tent, I smiled brighter than the last remaining stars of the early morning, sending the message that was engraved within the walls of my heart back up to her.

I hoped she'd see it.

I couldn't have made it clearer.

Forever, B.

...

"Lopez!" Came the harsh voice of Col. Stevens. "You have mail."

My heart fluttered excitedly. Had my letter already got home and Brittany had already replied? God, the woman was efficient.

When he handed it to me, however, my heart sank realising it wasn't my beautiful girl's writing.

But then my heart sped up and within seconds, I felt on the verge of panic.

I knew who's writing it was. And I knew they shouldn't know where I was.

I had exactly two minutes to read this letter. I did not have time to let the tears out that had already begun to pool in the corners of my eyes.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

It started with Mama.

I'd really like to know your thoughts on Rachel's story, where you think I'm heading with it and what you'd like to see happen with the rest of the characters. There is a lot I need them to go through (Brittana and the children) and I'd really like to know what you wish to happen. Also, I watched New Year's Eve tonight and it really inspired me for this story. So watch out! Poppy x