It was an hour later, and Santana still hadn't reappeared. Frowning down at her phone, Rachel looked back up to see Brittany leaning over the fence of the sea lion pool, chattering happily with a large male that was barking back. Smiling at her, Rachel turned away and pressed Call.

"And why are you calling me?" Santana demanded.

"Because Brittany's missing you." When Santana didn't answer, Rachel tried again, "Santana. Please. This is her day, remember? She's already forgiven you."

Santana snapped suspiciously, "What did she tell you?"

Able to rein in the rolling of her eyes, Rachel made sure that Brittany was still occupied before responding, "Not much. Honestly? I didn't ask. That's not my business."

"Wow. That's a first."

"However, Santana, you made her cry. That I do not like."

Silence, and when Santana spoke again, her voice was angry but subdued. "Then why did you call me? I'd think you'd be gloating."

"Santana!" Huffing, Rachel shook her head. "I am not trying to make this a contest between us, okay? You may feel that way, but I don't. Look." She lowered her voice, "Just please, come back. For Brittany."

"For Brittany."

Santana's continuing belligerence was getting hard to take. "Yes. Your girlfriend."

There was silence, and then Santana's voice was almost dead. "My girlfriend."

And then the line went dead. The sound of Santana hanging up on her actually hurt, it was so insulting. Gritting her teeth and fighting back frustrated tears, Rachel angrily shoved her phone back into her pocket. She knew Santana was furious and hurt, but what was Rachel supposed to do about that? She had no claim on the other girl's emotions!

Forcing herself to calm and placing a neutral smile on her face, Rachel turned around.

"Is she coming back?" Brittany asked, suddenly in front of her.

Jumping in surprise, Rachel took in Brittany's furrowed brow hopeful look. Not wanting to let her girlfriend down nor get her hopes up, she answered with a polite, "I'm sure she's around here somewhere."

The light dimmed in Brittany's eyes, but she nodded. Curling her fingers around Rachel's, she tugged her forward. "Thank you, Rachie," she smiled, kissing her sweetly, "I know how much you care. But you don't have to lie for her."

"I'm not…" Sighing, Rachel dropped her shoulders. "Okay, I may be putting a positive spin on her words, but even I can admit how much she actually cares for you."

Brittany's hand cupped her cheek, and the blonde smiled at her. "Rachel…" she whispered, leaning forward to nuzzle her nose, "You're too nice sometimes. But that's another thing I love about you."

Tilting her chin up, all too happy to accept another kiss, Rachel slid her hands forward to hide them securely in the pockets of Brittany's jacket. Even as she pulled Brittany closer, she knew that even if she wanted to melt completely into the kiss, let herself feels some sort of triumph that she was getting Brittany all to herself… She really couldn't.

When Brittany moved her head back, Rachel released a hand to curl around Brittany's wrist, gently pulling her from her face. "I'm going to find Santana," she managed a slight smile.

Dropping her eyes, her lips twitching as if she didn't know if she was happy or sad, Brittany nodded. "Okay," she whispered, kissing Rachel once more before stepping away, "I'm going to go back to exchanging fish jokes with Yoko the sea lion." A real smile appeared on her face, "He's hilarious, you know that?"

"I don't doubt it." Adorable. Watching her girlfriend settle herself comfortably on the sea lion fence again, Rachel sighed and pulled her phone back out of her pocket. "Santana, come on," she muttered as hit Resend, "Let me find you."

Rachel was calling again. Sighing in frustration, Santana thought about tossing her phone into the elephant enclosure, fantasies of a large foot stomping down onto it and ending her misery filling her head. Why the hell couldn't the midget get a clue?

Oh hell. Her ears catching a sound, Santana groaned. Of course.

Footsteps walked up directly behind her. "I figured that if I called you enough, I'd end up finding you by the ringtone," Rachel rounded the bench to take the empty seat next to Santana, still in the process of ending the call.

"Who said you could sit?" Santana snapped without much bite, more exasperated than angry, shifting to the side, "And fuck you. Wild Ones is an awesome song."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Eloquent as always."

Santana shrugged insolently, her lips quirking up as she watched the African elephant wander over to its water supply. "Tell me, Jewberry Shortcake," she breathed in deeply, turning her head to stare at Rachel, "Why are you bothering me? Shouldn't you be." She scowled, "With Brittany?"

"Yes," Rachel answered honestly, Santana scoffing in response. Eyebrows drawing together as she frowned, Rachel looked at her squarely, "But as much as it pains me to say this, you belong with her, too."

"How charitable."

"Santana." Growling, Rachel rotated her body so her upper body was facing Santana. "Stop it. Stop this right now. What are you? Five?" She glared at Santana, shaking her head, "Be mad at me. That's fine. It wouldn't be anything different than normal. But to use me to spite Brittany?" Rachel shot to her feet dramatically. "I came here, Santana, to talk to you. I thought we had a truce!"

Santana clenched her jaw. Staring at the elephant now calmly walking towards the other side of the enclosure, she pushed out forcibly emotionlessly, "I must have been high."

But instead of getting angrier or storming off, Rachel sagged, falling back into the seat next to her. "Santana…" Rachel sighed, dropping her shoulders and clasping her hands tightly in her lap, "You're hurting Brittany. And I don't like it. I don't know how much longer I can sit back and let it go on." Her voice lowered, "She loves you. She's devastated."

Santana swallowed. "I love her too," she snapped, glaring at Rachel, doing her best to keep the tears building in her eyes from falling. No. This wasn't fair. "You don't understand."

"I don't need to understand," Rachel offered, sitting back, sucking her lower lip in her mouth, "And I guess I'm not asking you to explain if it gets you to make up with her."

The anger flared back up again. "Stop it," Santana hissed, her turn to use those words, "Just… Stop it! This?" She drew a sharp circle in the air, gesturing between them violently, "This fake 'caring concern crap'? Dammit, stop acting like you're better than me. Because you're not." Her fist crashed into the wood of the bench, "You're not."

Rachel flinched back. "That's what this is about? Santana?" she gaped, realization dawning in her eyes as she stared at her, "You think… I'm better than you?"