Chapter 3

Crazy, hazy feeling.

"Do you think he's done?"

"Don't pressure our baby!"

"He looks pretty concentrated,"

Santana laughed out loud at the amused expression of Brittany watching Dominic lay down on the changing table of his nursery. His rounded cheeks were with a tinge of pink and he had a serious expression on his little face while inspecting the bright blue binky. It was the newest one.

"He's multitasking,"

Brittany frowned a bit confused "Can babies do that?"

"No babe. But I think he's done. I can smell it from here..." She said giggling and scrunching up her nose "I'm- I'm going to prepare his bath."

A knowing smirk took over fair features "Coward. Tell me again how is it that I always end up on diaper duty of this level?"

"You have said -and I quote- that he poops beautifully,"

Her tone rang amused "Yeah but you're taking it way too seriously," Brittany's hands began taking off the diaper, already fully prepared with his baby wipes "But it's ok, run away from your son." She called out to Santana's retreating form.

"Jesus, little man!" She exclaimed and faintly heard Santana's giggle across the hallway.

Dominic was smiling as if knowing his not so little mischief. Brittany tickled his bare tummy and completed the task at hand.

She wiped her forehead in an exaggerated manner "Ok, so now we wait for mami. Lucky you you'll never have to wait for as long as I did. Trust me, she was a tough cookie." She finished louder over her shoulder.

"Hey, I heard that!"

"So? It's the truth. I'm just sharing with my boy here. You see Dominic; your mami thought that I was having just friendly feelings when we first met. According to her, spending every possible moment together was just that. A friendship. Can you believe it?" Brittany began playing with the little feet "She was trying to be sneaky but I knew better."

And that's when she felt warm liquid seeping on an arm and part of her shirt was wet. Brittany tried to laugh quietly and bit one of the baby's tiny toes. Santana was leaning on the open door, laughing overtly.

"Um, babe? I think I'll have that bath too,"

"I know. He peed beautifully on you."

Been running from these feelings for so long,
Telling my heart I didn't need You …

Santana was parking on her building lot when she felt her mobile phone buzzing. She dug into her purse and smiled at what she read on the screen from an unknown number.

- Is it too soon to be texting without you adding stalkerish to my description?

She shook her head and thought her response for a moment.

- I don't think stalkerish is an actual word. But no, it's not too soon considering I just saw you 20 minutes ago.

Brittany was still on the cafeteria parking lot. After Santana gave Brittany her phone number and her see you soonaccompanied with a shy handshake, the blonde just sat inside of her car debating whether or not to send the message.

- Good. I was just checking if it was your real number. After all, you probably thought me a weirdo.

Chuckling loudly she typed again, not knowing the considerable increase on Brittany's heart rate and the fluttering butterflies on her stomach.

- You are a weirdo… But a really nice one and I'm glad I hit you on your baby maker:)

Smiling like an idiot was not something Brittany did often, let alone inside her car staring at a little screen.

- I'm still deciding how you can make it up to me. Dinner or drinks sometime next week? I promise I'll behave. No more admiring... or laughing at your scrunchy face.

Santana raised her brows amused, smiling widely at the words. Adorable was a more fitting word to describe her new acquaintance. Brittany Beckettwas indeed a sweet, interesting woman. But Santana, being who she was, was already putting her glass slippers on.

- I'll think about it. Have a great rest of your Sunday, Britt. Take care.

It was what Brittany expected but was glad Santana responded to her in the first place. She had time, and more than anything, she had her mind set since 3 hours ago.

Oh, a nickname! I like it. You too enjoy the rest of your Sunday, Santa. PS. Leave the reading for tomorrow when you have your glasses, ok. Bye!

Biting her lips to suppress a bigger smile, Santana finally left her car. And on the other side, the dreamy look on Brittany's face remained the rest of the day… and night. Something about the woman she just met was very distracting and she found herself wanting to spend more time with her. Their first talk was by far the most pleasant she had had in a while and not to mention Santana had a sharp mind and was extremely intelligent.

Over the next week she was careful not to be seen by Santana but took her time and sneaked throughout the floors only to watch the woman that had accompanied her those few hours. Hours that were more than enough to keep her hanging on. She didn't want to lie to her about whom she was, but decided that it would be best if she just waited after getting to know each other better. She had earned her place at the company and she was by no means a daddy's girl. She somehow felt she needed to prove that to Santana.

Brittany started to send random texts to Santana about interesting facts, books or movies they could see together in the near future and Santana always answered back, managing to keep things casual.

"Hey, my nerdy stalker," Santana answered and smiled into the phone.

She giggled back, lying across her couch "Hola Santa. So, it's the week after the next and I do believe you owe me something,"

Santana snorted and spoke in a lightly manner "First of all… Santa? Nope, I'm no chubby, white bearded man. So I'll give you S or San, your pick. And secondly, I do believe that I didn't agree to anything,"

"Fine, San," She emphasized on her chosen nickname "I guess you'll never read the article I just got about environmental engineering. It isn't published yet,"

"Are you trying to bribe me with superior knowledge?" Santana asked in a surprised yet pleased tone.

Brittany hummed "That depends… Are you bribable?"

The chuckle that floated through the line was glorious "Fine, smarty pants. When and where?"

A form of happy, victory dance took Brittany's body for a moment and gave Santana the details she had planned for over a week.

That's how they met for the second time. At a stylish bar and this time, Santana was the first one to arrive, having miscalculated the distances. So when Brittany saw her dressed in a form fitting deep purple dress, sitting with her legs crossed and her impossibly dark hair cascading in perfect curls; she instantly gravitated towards her, practically ignoring the hostess. And maybe drooling a little bit.

"Santany… Brittana- I mean, I'm Brittany," Stumbling on her words and in awe at her mere presence, she took in the delicate features and the light, tasteful make-up that complimented her beauty. Santana laughed, tilting her head backwards making Brittany smile even wider.

"Hello to you too," She motioned for the blonde to take a seat in front of her "I believe I was promised an article..." Santana teased and Brittany instantly reached for her blackberry inside her clutch, giving Santana a minute to admire the neat ponytail of her blonde hair and the shape of her arms and shoulders that were amazingly defined and exposed by her black, halter dress. Brittany asked for her e-mail and sent the document.

"Smooth Britt, real smooth," Santana mused.

"What?" The blonde asked through a smile on her pink lips.

"I just gave you my e-mail. Basically, you have everything about me,"

Brittany nodded cockily "But I don't know everything about you. That's why we are here," She added with a playful wink.

After ordering drinks they fell easily into conversation, starting with little details about themselves and funny stories of teenage years. To the onlookers, they were the only two people in the world and it sure felt like it to both gorgeous women.

"So, career or family first?" Santana asked after a sip of a fruity drink.

"Family," Brittany answered without hesitation "I mean, I have no family of my own yet but I hope for one. And in the meantime, I have my parents, my brother and my sister in-law and my niece. We are pretty tight and I love them to pieces."

"I can tell,"

"What about you?"

Santana sighed discreetly and looked down for a second before answering with a hint of sadness "Family too… If I had one," Weirdly, she felt at ease enough to let Brittany in beyond her comfort zone

Brittany voiced honestly, resisting the urge to hold her hand "I'm sure your mom loves you very much,"

She smiled gratefully "I know and I love her too, very much. But I just feel- I don't know. I guess because I didn't have a normal family I feel like I missed out on something. My mom raised me by herself after my father left us when I was a toddler. She gave me everything I needed and more and it was always just the two of us,"

"You want your own family to have what you didn't,"

Brittany's words were full of honesty and that made Santana feel relieved "Exactly. I'm not saying I'm going to get marry and have children tomorrow but it's something I look forward to. It's nice to have that, you know."

It wasn't necessary for Brittany to say something else, the easy silence they fell in said more than could be heard. The brief heaviness was lifted just as it was settled and after ordering another round of drinks, they kept talking and laughing nonstop.

But when Santana asked about her professional life and what her company's business was, she tried not to tense visibly and answered as vaguely as she could. She needed more time. "Well, people tend to think that because of my father, I had it easily but honestly, I think it was harder for me. I like what I do and I'm good at it. Numbers and spaces come easy to me. Sure, maybe it's in my blood and all that jazz but I knew I wanted this since I was in middle school. I wanted to know how to build the pretty things I saw or even designed," She shrugged.

Santana bobbed her head up and down "You must feel great now that you've accomplish what you wanted." Brittany smiled into her glass "Hey, you told me you have a brother from another father? How's that?"

The tense knot on her stomach felt loose again and she chuckled "Indeed. He's older than me by 6 years. Unfortunately, his dad was in a bad car accident and didn't make it. My mom was just a few months pregnant when it happened, so she packed her bags and left Phoenix to come to L.A. She met my dad, the contractor of her new house and well, the rest it's history. He raised Sammy as his own but we respect the memory of his father. After he was born, my mom helped my dad to get the money to start the company."

It was past 3 in the morning when they noticed they were the only ones left in the place. Almost seven hours spent without a hitch, sitting at ease and feeling lighter. The red hint on Brittany's ears and cheeks reminded Santana that they were probably a one too many past the driving ability, so they shared a cab and Brittany got away with more information about her when the driver decided to drop Santana off first and this time, a warm hug was their see you soon.

Over the next couple of months work made a little difficult for them to reunite as often as the blonde wanted to but Brittany's daily texts made Santana smile every single time and if talking over the phone for hours wasn't enough, there was always Skype.

Considering that Santana spent most of her Saturdays with her mom, Sundays were Brittany's; every other day throughout the week as well, much to her other friends surprise. It was as if they knew each other all their life and if someone would ask about her best friends, Brittany's name would come out first.

"You look so relaxed," Santana smiled to the screen on her lap.

"I just woke up," She was lying on her stomach, a pillow under her chest.

"Britt, it's 6 pm."

"It's not what it looks like!" She defended "I went to work at 5 in the morning to a construction site with Mike. Came back after noon, took a shower to wash off the dust and debris and passed out. What about you? I thought you'd be with your mom or Rachel,"

"I was, we had lunch and went shopping. Rachel's out of town on some Sarah Brightman meets Enya spiritual shit and I'm feeling lazy to go out with Brody for drinks," The displeased expression on Brittany's face at the mention of the guy's name didn't go unnoticed "What's wrong?" Santana tilted her head and asked.

Brittany shrugged and sat up "Nothing… Hey, you can be lazy with me. Come over; I'll order dinner and we can watch movies. Just dress to achieve potato couch level. I'm already there."

So Santana did just that and 20 minutes later, she was at Brittany's door with a small duffle bag. The blonde in front of her was dressed in a pair of cotton pants and a tank top. Remember the butterflies Brittany felt when she was in the car? Well, Santana started feeling them too, long ago. She was just cautious about it.

"Hey, I haven't met this guy before. It smells like you," Santana said while she took a small, fluffy bending toy of Jack Skellington from Brittany's bed and nuzzled it. She was settling Santana's things on the above floor of the open loft.

Brittany cleared her throat and scratched behind her neck "Yeah, well. It's my favourite movie. I may or may not sleep with him… But only sometimes," She huffed "I know. I'm a big dork."

Santana laughed wholeheartedly "Of course not. I think it's cute and I love that movie,"

"Honest?"

"Yeah. Honest."

Brittany beamed "What do you like about it?"

"He's a hero in a unique kind of way. He has a big heart and lives in this world that's both filled with imagination and complexity. Maybe we all are Jack at some point of our lives."

"Do you think people can find their Sally?"

A wide, honest smile took over pouty lips "I do."

Blue eyes were staring straight into dark ones but the moment was interrupted when the dinner Brittany ordered from that place Santana likes so much arrived. They ate in comfortable silence, stealing bites from each other's plates and afterwards, settled on Brittany's bed to watch said movie.

Brittany's head was resting on Santana's stomach and every once in a while they both sang along the lyrics and even recited some of the dialogues. When it ended, they kept to Burton and played Corpse bride. Tanned fingers were sliding through blonde silkiness, lulling Brittany to sleep.

Santana turned off the huge flat screen and gently coaxed the sleepy blonde to get under the covers with her. She kissed her forehead and turned to her side when Brittany asked her in a childlike, slumbering murmur if she could cuddle her. Lazily smiling, Santana reached behind for Brittany's hand and tugged her closer. The blonde happily obliged and spooned her innocently. The last thing they both heard was the joint sigh that escaped at the same time before falling to deep slumber.

It was the perfect preamble.

Or so Brittany thought before walking down her street for a late breakfast after they overslept until noon. The giddiness in their steps was interrupted when she heard her name being called from across the street. Santana turned to find Brody already jogging up to greet her. Brittany closed her eyes as she recognized his voice and turned in time to see him hugging her longer that what she considered necessary.

"Oh, hi Ms Pierce." He offered a hand reverently when he finally noticed the blonde. Santana frowned deeply and looked on the polite exchange beyond confusion.

"Just Brittany, Weston."

"Do you two know each other?" She managed to ask.

The man looked funnily at them before answering "Um, we work for her? You should visit the top floor of the empire more often. Right, boss?" He playfully asked Brittany, who only smiled awkwardly.

Santana's mind was reeling and, for the first time in her life, she felt stupid. She had read their names on many documents and articles. Her brother had signed her contract for Christ's sake… Brittany Beckett-Brittany S. Pierce, Sammy-Samuel E. Pierce, Mike-Michael R. Chang. Angela Beckett was her mother and her dad A.J. was no other than Arthur Joseph Pierce, founder of Unicorp, global construction. There was no Beckett contracting.

Santana saw Brody was talking but only registered the last sentence "I have to go. It was nice seeing you," He said, glancing back at his friends, oblivious to the sudden tension around them. "Ms Pi- Brittany." Brody vowed unknowingly before going away and she hated him for that gesture.

They just stood there before Brittany's voice interrupted her staring contest at the sidewalk. "I was going to tell you today,"

"Yes, because in these past three months there was never a chance in all the time we spent together." Santana started walking back to where they came from with Brittany close behind her.

"I'm still me. Brittany, just Brittany. It doesn't change anything,"

"It does!" She countered louder and turned around to face her.

"It doesn't!"

"You lied to me!" Santana spat, angrier at herself than at the blonde.

Brittany loudly exhaled "I omitted that because I wanted you to know me first as I am. Just another hardworking girl,"

Santana swallowed hard, holding back the tears that reflected the ones on blue eyes.

"Santana, please. You have to know how much I-"

"I have my keys… I- I'll pick up my stuff later or just drop them off at my desk if you must." She dismissed mid conversation and practically ran away from a distraught Brittany and drove off.

So afraid to take a chance again
So afraid of what I feel inside …