Santana awoke bright and early, the sound of her alarm buzzing loudly in her ear. She grumbled as she tumbled out of her warm, inviting bed, out of habit, but then smiled when she remembered why she had decided to get up this early on a Sunday. Her smile was the accompanied by a flutter of nervous butterflies in her stomach, as she gulped and began to plan her outfit for what she called her 'Brittany-vention' day.
"Okay, here goes." she muttered to herself, as she began rifling through her ample closet. "Find something that says: I'm sorry for being the biggest idiot in the world, but still looks super hot. Let's see..."
She began humming softly to herself, and smirked once she realised that she had been humming 'Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!' from the Wizard of Oz, which she very distinctly remembered Brittany belting out along with Dorothy as they watched the movie the other night.
'Damn San. You are soooooo whipped.' taunted a little voice inside her head.
'Shut up.' she retorted curtly, while holding up different outfits against her body and observing them in the mirror.
She tried a montage of different clothes; she felt like she was in one of those 80's movies where everything is sped up and they try clothes on at a really fast pace.
Denim hot pants and a white tank top? Too slutty-mechanic.
Sensible black trousers and a pale blue shirt? Too office-worker.
Leopard print leggings with a fitted black top and a fluffy sleeveless fur jacket? Too classy-hooker.
In the end, she went with a pair of sleek black jeans, which hugged her body in all the right places and accentuated her mouth-watering curves, and a silky, loose-fitting top that hung comfortably on her slender torso, framing her breasts perfectly. She then pulled on her favourite black boots, before making her way back over to the mirror.
She checked herself over, nodding in approval at the outfit she had finally chosen.
"Okay, now time for my hair." she murmured, eyeing the various hair products that littered her vanity table. Normally she would go all-out with her hair on an occasion like this – not that she apologised to women very often – tousling it and dousing it in hairspray, combing it into an array of extravagant styles, experimenting with curls and fringes, but today, she decided to go for a more natural look, leaving it down so it flowed around her shoulders in soft, beautiful waves.
In a way, she supposed it was a representation for how she felt about Brittany, almost an accidental, poetic metaphor; while the majority of her past relationships had been short, fickle, and meaningless, what she had with Brittany was real; she could just be herself when she was with the blonde, she didn't have to hide behind any false facades or shield who she really was.
'Okay, now you're more whipped than fresh cream.' her inner voice teased.
But this time, she didn't even try to deny it.
Santana raced around her apartment, not wanting to waste any more time, time that she could be spending apologising to Brittany. She grabbed her bag, making sure she had her purse, newly purchased lipstick, and any other bits and bobs she may need. She wolfed down a bowl of cereal, washed it down with a glass of orange juice, then dashed to the door, grabbing her keys from the shelf and shutting the door behind her with a loud bang that echoed around the apartment.
She rushed down the stairs two at a time, not wanting to have to stand around waiting for an elevator. She nodded politely at the man who owned the taco shop as she passed him, who waved and greeted Santana with a warm smile.
She emerged into the street, surprised at the warmth that emanated through the air. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the pleasant aroma of newly cut grass, infused with the scent of freshly ground coffee and warm pastry from the bakery across the road.
She was about to whistle for a cab, when an unfamiliar stall a few shops down caught her eye. It was a garden ornament store, and from the gleaming sign and the spotless windows, she came to the conclusion that it was a brand new shop. Santana thought about it for a split second, and then ran to the shop, bursting in and raking her eyes over the vast, colourful displays. Her breath caught in her throat for a second, as she surveyed the beauty of the ornaments that she was greeted with.
"Wow." she breathed, momentarily stunned into silence.
"Hi there. Can I help you find something?" said a voice, floating over from behind a tall display of beautiful pixies. A young man appeared from behind the shelves, smiling warmly while flicking his hair out of his face in an almost feminine gesture. "I'm Kurt Hummel, the owner of this fine establishment. What can I do for you?"
He winked cheekily, and Santana couldn't help but to grin back at the endearing young man.
"Hey. I'm Santana. This, uh, this may sound a bit strange, but I need an ornament that one might give to a... girlfriend. As a gift."
Kurt's eyebrows rose slightly, and he smiled knowingly, beckoning Santana forward with his hand.
"Ah yes. I think I have just the thing. Follow me darling!" he proclaimed dramatically, with a flourish of his hand.
Santana chuckled at the theatrical tone in Kurt's voice, as she followed him towards a display to the right of the store.
"Okay. Here we go. Now, here you will find a rather mixed bag of ornaments, from gnomes to Nomads, but if I am correct... Aha! I thought so. Here is something that may fit what you are looking for."
Kurt reached in towards the back of the display, rummaging around for a few seconds until he withdrew a very peculiar looking ornament. It was about 20 centimetres tall, and was of a powerful-looking woman holding a weapon of some sort.
"Now this is not a very commonly-known ornament, but it is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen. She is Freya, a Viking Norse goddess. She is considered to be the goddess of love and beauty, but is also a warrior goddess and one of great wisdom and magic. The cat is her sacred symbol."
Santana froze for a second; unable to believe how perfect this ornament was for Brittany. Kurt observed her curiously, waiting to see what she thought of this rare yet fascinating work of art.
"It's perfect." Santana whispered, as she gazed at the figurine in awe, studying Freya's flowing white gown, her elegant body, her radiant, striking face. "I'll take it."
Kurt grinned happily, as he made his way back towards the front of the quaint little shop, shuffling behind the counter as he placed Freya gently on top of it.
"Would you like me to gift wrap it? Free of charge." Kurt stated generously, earning a beaming grin from Santana.
"That would be wonderful. Thanks Kurt."
He giggled proudly as he swathed the ornament in silky, purple wrapping paper, tying it up at the top with a thin, gold ribbon. He then looked back up at Santana, his eyes bright and friendly.
"Okay, so that'll be fifteen dollars please."
Santana handed him a twenty dollar bill, but as he motioned to return her change, she shook her head gently.
"Keep the change." she said kindly.
She turned, giving Kurt a wave as she pulled open the door, but, just as she was about to exit the shop, she turned back to the delicate young man one more time.
"Maybe you could use the change from that twenty to buy a cup of coffee for that cute guy that runs the bookstore across the street?" she said, grinning cheekily.
Kurt clapped a hand over his mouth, giggles tumbling out at Santana's bold words, as the Latina winked at him and left the store, hailing a cab and climbing in as they begun to weave through the traffic, her face dominated by a wide smile.
Her encounter with the charming Kurt Hummel had left her in high spirits, and she felt confident that, with enough sincerity, honesty, and perhaps a little of that Santana Lopez charm, she could win back Brittany's trust, and in turn win back her heart.
She arrived at Brittany's roughly twenty minutes later, paying the driver and even leaving him a little tip. She strode up the path to Brittany's front door purposefully, determined to make things right with the blonde.
Before she pressed the bell, she reached into her bag and pulled out the statuette.
"Okay, Norse goddess Freya. Let's see how powerful you really are." she muttered to the model, gripping it tightly in her hand.
She reached up with a shaking hand and pressed the lollipop bell, hearing the loud ring reverberate beyond the confines of the door. She took a few deep, steadying breaths, swallowing to try and calm her nerves. As she heard slow footsteps approaching the door, she felt a few beads of sweat break out on her forehead, and couldn't help comparing it to Blaine's gelled, slicked-back hair. She shook her head stubbornly, attempting to get all thoughts of Blaine out of her head for the time being.
The door then opened slowly, and Santana straightened up, preparing to deliver the honest, heartfelt speech she had spent most of the previous night preparing.
"Hi Brittany. Look, I know you're mad, but-"
"Who are you?" enquired an unfamiliar voice.
Santana's head whipped up, startled to hear a voice that didn't belong to Brittany.
Instead, she was met with a different blonde. She had short hair, cut into a choppy, careless style. Her eyes were a gorgeous hazel colour, and she had delicate features that resembled that of a pixie. Santana couldn't help thinking that the girl looked like she could be one of the ornaments that adorned Brittany's garden, but quickly stopped her train of thought, focusing on the unexpected stranger in front of her.
"I, uh, my name's Santana. Who are you?" Santana asked warily.
"I'm Quinn. A friend of Brittany's." she replied. "Wait a minute..."
Quinn's eyes widened as she fully registered Santana's name.
"You're not the girl who...? Wow, you've got some nerve coming here. After all you've put her though! I think you should just leave."
Quinn moved quickly to close the door, but Santana's hand shot out, preventing it from shutting completely.
"No! Please, please just, give me chance to talk to her! I need to talk to her, PLEASE!"
Quinn could hear the raw desperation in Santana's voice, and faltered for a second. Santana took this as an opportunity to beg Quinn, to plead for her indulgence for just a second.
"Please, you have no idea how much she means to me. Look, I know I hurt her, and I know it's going to be a while before she'll be able to trust me again. But you have to understand... I've never cared about anyone before, like I care about Brittany. She makes me happy in ways I didn't even know were possible. And I know, at the beginning it wasn't real. But it is now. Why do you think I'm here? I've already got... what I needed. If that was all I wanted, then why would I come back? Please, I need to speak to her, to explain. Please."
Quinn sighed heavily, and moved back slightly, as if to let Santana in. But, she was stopped by a small voice coming from behind her.
"Did you really mean that?"
Santana's eyes zipped to the right, following the soft sound of Brittany's voice that had floated out to caress her ears. The blonde walked forward slowly, swathed in a pink dressing gown with her hair tied up in a messy ponytail, emerging into the sunlight to stand beside Quinn in the hallway.
Santana's heart leapt as she saw Brittany, her hands shaking with a mixture of fear and pure joy.
She nodded firmly, and then bit her lip, waiting to see if Brittany would even agree to talk to her.
"It's okay Quinn. Let her in." Brittany said quietly, as Santana felt her heart soar.
The brunette crossed the threshold timidly, feeling Quinn's suspicious gaze as it bore into her back.
Meanwhile, Brittany had retreated into the living room, so Quinn motioned with a curt nod of her head for Santana to follow, while the wary blonde made her way upstairs, to give the girls some privacy.
As Santana entered the living room, she saw Brittany perched on the armchair below the window, her knees tucked up with her arms wrapped around them. The sight of Brittany looking so broken made the Latina's heart ache, and Santana just wanted to gather Brittany up in her arms and hold her, but she knew she couldn't, not until she had made things right.
"Hey." Santana spoke softly, as she sat on the sofa, placing her hands in her lap and facing Brittany.
"Hi." Brittany whispered, not making eye contact with Santana, instead choosing to stare at the floor.
Santana realised that this was going to be lot harder than she thought. Brittany might have let her in – and stopped Quinn from killing her – but this didn't mean the blonde was going to forgive her right away.
"I've missed you." Santana stated truthfully.
Brittany could hear the genuineness in Santana's voice, and fidgeted uncomfortably, torn between keeping up her angry persona or just admitting that she had missed Santana too. But she knew that she couldn't give in that easily, and so settled for a noncommittal noise of agreement.
Santana appreciated Brittany's reaction; at least a grunt of recognition was better than getting nothing at all. She stood up, clutching Freya in her right hand, and made her way over to Brittany, slowly crouching down until she was on her knees, gazing up at the blonde beseechingly, imploring her to listen.
"Look Britt, I know that it's going to take a lot for me to convince you just how awful I feel about all this, how sorry I am and how much I wish... I wish you would just look at me."
Brittany could hear how destroyed Santana sounded, and knew she wasn't just making this up.
"But, I got you this, to show, I don't know, to show that I do care about you, and that this hasn't all just been a lie. I know it's not much, but, when I saw it, I thought of you."
Santana raised her hand, bringing up the statue and holding it upright on the arm of the couch.
"It may seem a little lame, but, uh, she's a goddess. A Viking goddess. Her name's Freya. She, uh, she's the goddess of love and beauty, and, oh crap, what else did Kurt say? Oh yeah, uh, and she has great wisdom, and can do magic. And her sacred symbol is a cat."
Santana smiled slightly, pleased for remembering most of what Kurt had told her, and then locked gazes with Brittany, anticipating her reaction.
Brittany tried to maintain her nonchalant expression, she really did, but she couldn't help it; she smiled the tiniest of smiles, in spite of herself, and Santana felt her hopes rise just slightly.
"I, uh, I got her for you. For your garden. I noticed you didn't have anything like this, so I thought you would like it."
"I do." whispered Brittany, and Santana couldn't help imagining the words in a different setting, perhaps with the two of them in a church, draped in white, standing under a majestic arch...
"Um, well, good." Santana said, letting out a tiny breath of relief.
She took one last, deep breath, and then began to speak from the bottom of her heart.
"Brittany, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for lying, for deceiving you, for getting you involved in something that you shouldn't be involved in. I just, I was so focused on getting the diamonds back, but then I started falling for you. And then, I didn't care about the diamonds any more. I just wanted you. But then my boss said he would... you would be in danger if I didn't get the diamonds back to him. So I knew I had to, but then you caught me, and we had that horrible fight, and, and..."
Santana had begun to cry, emitting small, choking sobs, which rendered her unable to speak clearly.
Brittany couldn't take it any more, this cold, uncaring facade becoming impossible to maintain, as she witnessed Santana's pain. She sunk to the floor next to Santana and cradled the distraught Latina in her arms, stroking her back tenderly.
"Shh, it's okay." she soothed.
"No, it's not." Santana cried. "Because all this time, you thought I didn't care for you, when in fact, I do care for you. I care for you a lot. These past few days have been torture, not being able to see you or speak to you, and all I've wanted to do is call you and kiss you and tell you how much I love you-"
Santana stopped talking abruptly, gasping as the reality of her words sunk in. Brittany, meanwhile, had momentarily stopped her rubbing motions on Santana's back as she took in her words.
"...What?"
Santana then sat up, sniffing resolutely and meeting Brittany's astonished gaze. She took the blonde's hand in her own, then nodded, smiling as the truth dawned on her.
"I... I'm in love with you, Brittany." she whispered, the words feeling so natural, so right. "It's taken me this long to see it, but now that I do... I know. I love you. I love you so much, Brittany Pierce."
Brittany couldn't fight it; she broke into a huge grin and embraced Santana, pulling her close so their bodies were meshed together.
"I'm sorry too. Sorry I was so quick to judge you, and write you off. Because, honestly, not being with you was unbearable for me too, San. I've liked you ever since the moment I saw you, when you literally crashed into my life."
Both girls giggled at the memory.
"And I love you too, Santana Lopez."
Brittany gazed at Santana, a twinkle in her eye, as she cupped the Latina's face in her hands. She licked her lips, and Santana followed her tongue with her eyes, wanting nothing more than to feel those moist lips on hers. Her wish was soon granted, as Brittany leaned forward slowly, inch by inch, until Santana couldn't take it anymore and closed the gap, pressing their lips together slowly.
The kiss spoke of everything they were feeling; joy, relief, love.
Everything that they were too afraid to say yet, or that they didn't know how to put into words, was being communicated in that kiss.
Santana began to move her lips gently, massaging Brittany's lips with her own, pleased when she heard the blonde let out a tiny moan. Brittany moved her hands to rest on Santana's hips, rolling her thumbs over Santana's hipbones gently, eliciting a mew of pleasure from the brunette.
They were so wrapped up in each other, they failed to hear the light tread of footsteps descending the stairs.
"Hey Britt, I just thought I'd come down and make sure everything was alri- WHOA!"
Quinn had sauntered in, but was soon halted by the scene in front of her.
Santana and Brittany sprung apart, Santana averting her gaze with her cheeks flushing red, while Brittany smiled at Quinn sheepishly.
"Heyyyyyyy Quinn." Brittany wheedled, trying to coax a smile out of her friend.
"Don't 'Hey Quinn' me. Jeez, you could at least give a girl some warning before she has to walk in on you two macking on each other."
Brittany giggled a little at this, which broke though Quinn's icy demeanour, as she too smiled a little. But her gaze turned stern as she turned it upon Santana.
"Now, listen here Sparky. I have been best friends with Brittany for as long as I can remember. This means I am fiercely protective of her, like a mother lion is with her cub. So be warned: if you EVER hurt her again, I will proceed to destroy you. We clear?" she smiled sweetly, as Santana stared at her, wide-eyed and a tiny bit intimidated.
"Crystal." Santana replied, nodding as she stroked Brittany's arm lovingly.
"Good." Quinn retorted, before retreating into the kitchen and rummaging through the fridge.
Santana and Brittany giggled at Quinn quietly, before Santana became serious and locked gazes with Brittany, her chocolate brown eyes sombre and rife with determination.
"Okay Britt. There's just one thing I have to do before we can be together properly."
She swallowed audibly, trying to get rid of the nervous lump that had formed in her throat as she thought of what she had to do.
"I have to go and give the diamonds back to Blaine. Then I'm going to tell him that I want nothing more to do with him, and that I'm leaving my life of crime to be with you. Because that's all I want now. To be with you."
Brittany thought about it for a second, then nodded agreeably, deciding that Santana was being honest with her.
"Okay."
Santana let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and smiled gratefully, pulling Brittany in for one more kiss.
"Alright. I have to go and call Blaine; we can't see him unless we make an appointment. Then, as soon as I'm done, I'll come right back to you tonight. I promise."
Santana gripped Brittany's hand for a second, before letting go and standing up, making her way towards the door. From behind her, she heard the faintest of whispers.
"I love you Santana. Be safe."
"I love you too Brittany. And I will."
Santana rushed home, urging the cab driver to go faster every few minutes, much to his irritation.
The moment she reached her apartment, she flung open the door of the cab, threw some money at the bewildered driver, and raced up the stairs, eager to sort everything out and get back to Brittany.
She unlocked her door with an almost superhuman speed, barrelling in and searching for her phone. She located it, buried under a pile of clothes, and pulled it out, hurriedly scrolling down the address book until she found 'Mr Anderson'. She pressed the Call button, and waited impatiently, tapping her foot and jangling her keys anxiously.
"Hello, Blaine Anderson here."
"Sir! Hello, Mr Anderson, it's Agent Lopez here."
"Ah, Santana. It's been a while since we last spoke. I hope this is not yet another complication with the acquisition of the diamonds. I told you what would happen if I don't get them back..."
"No, sir, nothing like that!" she exclaimed, in a hurry to get this over with. "Actually sir, I have the diamonds."
She paused for a second, waiting with baited breath.
"Excellent."
She could hear the satisfied tone in Blaine's voice and felt relief wash over her.
"So, I was thinking I could bring them to you as soon as possible, and also, I, uh, I need to talk to you about something."
"Bring them to my office at Headquarters in an hour's time. Don't be late. And Lopez?"
"Yes boss?"
"This had better be good."
Wow. I think that may have been the longest chapter I have ever written. It was so much fun to write though! :D Also, a few of you may have noticed that I don't put the Author Note at the start of the chapter anymore; that's just because I think it's better to launch straight into the story, then add in all my mumbo-jumbo at the end ^^
Anyway, I hope all of you readers enjoyed this chapter, and I must say, a MASSIVE thank you to all of you who have alerted/favourited this fic, that just means so much to me.
Also, don't be shy, drop a review letting me know what you thought! I'd also like to hear opinions on Quinn, and what you guys thought of her and her feisty attitude ;D
So yeah, I hope you're all liking this fic so far, and stay awesome!