"It made me realise something though," Santana breathed in, ignoring her parents for a spilt second as she tried to calm her internal nerves. There's no going back, the voice at the back of her head whispered, but she ignored it. Another deep breath. "I'm in love with someone too, but it's not Puck, not David, not any of the guys I've dated. I'm in love with Brittany. And yes, she's a girl- yes, that makes me- it makes me gay. I- I love both of you, which is why I couldn't hide this from you and I hope you l-love me enough in return to see that I'm the exact- the same person I always have been, and that who I love doesn't define that. Just because I'm a lesbian, it- it doesn't change who I-I am." Santana stuttered.

The response from her parents was instantaneous. Her mom reached for Santana's shaking hand across the table and rubbed it soothingly, smiling gently at her quivering daughter. "Oh honey," she said softly. The concern in her chestnut eyes was blatant, the look reflected in her husband's eyes from the other side of the room. "Sweetie?" she squeezed her daughter's hand. "Calma, cariño."

Santana made briefly made eye contact with her parents for the first time, scared of what she'd see. As her eyes darted up, she felt her head spin a little to find neither of them were angry, as she'd anticipated, but both their smiles as relaxed and genuine as they were before she'd... came out.

She'd done it. She'd come out and it'd gone just as well as she could have hoped for.

"Mama? Papa?" she asked, her voice stronger than before but still barely above a whisper. "You still-"

"We still love you," her Dad nodded, a genuine smile on his face. "And if it's Brittany who makes you happy instead of Noah or David then..." He exchanged a glance with his wife. "We will support you all the way." He took her free hand and there came the three squeezes. For some reason, that was more reassuring than anything else.

"Thank you," Santana smiled tearfully. "I love you both so, so, much," she ended, enveloping her parents in a wobbly hug, slightly giddy at how well things had turned out, sighing happily in her their arms.

Take a look at my face
There's no price I won't pay
To say these words to you

And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't shine
Till the heavens burst and
The words don't rhyme
And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you - Always

The radio played softly in the background, as Santana's mother whispered into her ear; "What kind of a parent would judge their own child by who they loved? We could never, ever do that to you, mi querido."

She had her family. Her mom and dad still loved her, she had a home, she had Kurt to help with her crap, and most importantly she had Brittany. She could make it through this.

"She's going to make it through." Kurt told Brittany as soon as she and his father entered the hospital waiting room. He let go of Blaine's hand for a split second to engulf the taller blonde girl in a violent hug. "She's not looking the greatest, but it's nothing they can't mend," he repeated almost the exact words the nurse had told them not five minutes ago. "They're fixing her up at the moment, and when she's done they'll give us all the medical details." Brittany peeked up from her head, buried in Kurt's shoulder, relaxing slightly . She didn't understand most of what he'd just told them, apart from the fact she was going to make it through. She was going to be okay. Although she was still internally freaking out, she managed a slightly shocked smile.

"Kurt?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep, and Kurt wanted to just hug her all over again at how young she looked in that moment. How vunerable she was under the smile.

"Yeah?" he answered, his own smile bittersweet as she asked the question that had been slowly tugging at the back of his mind since the phone call earlier.

"Why is she in here at all?" her head was tilted slightly, as it always was when she was confused.

"I really don't know Britt," he answered honestly, rubbing her shoulder, trying to reassure her as Blaine had him. He imagined how he had felt after the phone call and tried multiplying it by a hundred. Santana had talked to him three times before yesterday afternoon, two of which were complimenting his 'lady trousers'. They were barely aquaintences until then. Brittany had been her best friend for three years prior to the whole mess. They loved each other- maybe in different ways- and balanced each other out- Santana's witty comebacks to Brittany's simplistic phillosophies, Brittany radiating happiness while Santana scribbled her notebook of bitchy insults. It wasn't just Santana and Brittany- it was SantanaandBrittany. You didn't find one without the other. That was just how, as Santana had pointed out 'they rolled'. They just clicked.

He continued to silently muse, feeling worse and worse for Brittany for each second the clock ticked. Without even thinking he reached for Blaine's hand and squeezed it. "I love you," he whispered into Blaine's ear, slotting his head into his neck, just inhaling the smell of... Blaine. He couldn't describe it. His colgone, his shampoo, ground coffee and spearmint gum and…

"Wake me up when the doctor comes," he whispered sleepily to his Dad, before resuming his position in the side of Blaine's neck, and knowing Santana was going to be okay now, he fell into a light, peaceful sleep.

"Hey, sweetie…" he heard a familiar voice call. "Kurt?"

"Mmmm, Blaine," Kurt smiled into his boyfriend's shoulder, recognizing the voice instantly. He opened one eye cautiously, and upon realising where he was, bolted upright, knocking Blaine on the chin as he did so. "Oh god, sorry, I just- shit, hospital, why are we at the-" he tried to rub his bleary eyes, hoping to regain the memory of what he was actually doing here. "Santana! Have we heard from the doctor yet?"

"That would be me," A tall man stepped in to view. "If you wouldn't mind stepping into my office for a moment while I run you through all the test results, ecetera? It won't take long at all, and you can then join your friends in Miss Lopez's Ward?"

"Brittany went straight there a few minutes ago with your dad," Blaine filled him in. "I hope you didn't mind, but…"

"No, not at all," Kurt smiled politely, slightly disorientated. "Um , if you could lead the way, doctor…?"

"Cooper." The man replied confidently. If you'll follow me just down here…" He lead the boys through a maze of identical white corridors until they reached an office that could rival Emma Pillsbury's in cleanliness. "Take a seat," he gestured for them to sit down.

"As Miss Lopez is eighteen and legally an adult, although it would be ideal to contact her family, we didn't need any parental permission to carry out the necessary procedures. As you were the last person Miss Lopez contacted, we have automatically considered you as her emergency contact as we cannot get hold of her family at the minute." Kurt nodded slightly as an indicator to continue. "As for her medical condition, she has broken three ribs, two on the left and one on the upper right." He pulled an x-ray forward, pointing at various body parts as he spoke. "She also has a fairly severe concussion, but we'll have to wait for her to regain conciousness to run proper tests. Her right wrist is also slightly fractured, and we have some fairly severe bruising to her back, which will take a good few weeks to heal. There are other minor injuries, such as cuts, smaller bruising and a black eye, but those will all heal within their own time, and look worse than they are. There are stitches on the left elbow, we suspect that the gash was created when Miss Lopez fell to the floor unconcious. That is the extent of the damage."

Kurt took a deep breath, feeling dizzy at all the information and how much pain the por girl must be in. "And... the cause of the injuries?" he asked tentatively.

Doctor Cooper sighed. "Well, we won't be able to know for sure until Santana confirms, but we're pretty certain it's from a beating or fight of some sort. When she's recovered, investigations can be launched and charges pressed." He spoke in a professional manner, but he looked genuinely sympathetic towards them as he nodded grimply.

Kurt and Blaine exhanged glances, before looking back at Doctor Cooper again. "I guess you'll be wanting to see her?"

"No shit," Kurt joked half heartedly. "Lead the way?"

He had a feeling he'd be coming well aquainted with this hospital.

For quicker updates…. Review please!

– Jess x x x