Alrighty here is chapter 2! Hope you all enjoy it, please review!
It had been two weeks since Santana and Finn had left for Afghanistan. Today Brittany had the day off from work. She was a dance teacher and occasionally choreographed dances for local plays. She absolutely loved her job, especially when Santana was away, it was so easy for her to just throw herself into her work. But it was days like this, when she had the day off, that she did the majority of her worrying because she had too much time to think. The kids were at school and she was alone in their house.
Brittany was on the computer checking her flight arrangements for the weekend. The annual New Directions reunion. This would be the third one that Brittany would attend without Santana. She had missed three due to deployments, as had Finn. Brittany and Rachel were flying in together with the kids. Brittany planned on bringing the kids to her mothers house and then before leaving Lima, bringing them to the Lopez's house.
In the two weeks that Santana had been gone they still hadn't heard from her. Brittany sat on the couch with the news on, but she wasn't really watching it. She had just finished confirming hers and Rachel's flights and thought she should call her and let her know. She picked up the phone and it started ringing. She glanced at the number and took a deep breath before she answered.
"Hello." she said nervously as she did every time she saw a military number when Santana was away.
"Brittany! I knew you had today off!" came her wife's excited voice on the other end.
Brittany let out a relieved sigh and smiled. "Santana, I haven't heard your voice in two weeks! Why haven't you called yet. Mike, Shay and Tony are going nuts they have all already each sent you a letter that should be getting to you any day now."
"Today is the first chance we have had to use the phones. We have been doing a lot of patrols." Santana said and Brittany winced at the thought of Santana walking around the desert with a gun looking for enemies.
"Well I'm glad that I get to talk to you any time. The reunion is this weekend. We are leaving tomorrow so we will be in Lima for the next four days."
"I can't believe that I am missing another one!" Santana said and she sounded upset.
"Don't worry about it Baby, they understand." Brittany said. "Maybe you and Finn can call during the reunion."
"Ya, we will try." Santana said.
"Do you think that you can call again tonight to talk to the kids? Mike has seriously read all seven Harry Potter books at least once and I think I saw him starting Sorcerer's Stone again this morning. Shay has been singing Adele at the top of her lungs, and Tony has been watching way to much SpongeBob, I had to turn it off and you know how much I love SpongeBob." Brittany said, all of those things signaled that her kids were worried and or upset.
"Ya I will try, but I have to go now, B. I have to run a patrol with Finn."
"Okay babe, be careful please. Tell Finn I said hello. I love you so much Santana."
"I love you too Brittany. I will try and talk to you tonight. I love you. Bye." Santana said and reluctantly hung up the phone.
That night after dinner while Brittany was watching SpongeBob with Tony and Shay and Mike was reading Sorcerer's Stone the phone rang. Mike bounded off the chair and sprinted into the kitchen and answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Is this Michael Pierce-Lopez?" Santana said.
"Mami!" Mike said joyously. Shay and Tony looked up quickly and smiled at Brittany.
"How are you mijo?"
"Alright Mami, what about you? Are you okay?"
"I am fine baby boy, but Mom says that you have been doing some Sirius Harry Potter reading lately. Did you get my joke?" Santana said with a laugh at her own play on words.
"Ay dios Madre. Yes but you know that is what I do. I am fine, seriously, no pun intended." Mike said and heard his mother laugh.
"Mike I love you baby, I don't have much time so can I talk to Shay?"
"Si Madre, te amo tambien." Mike said "Bye Mami!" he said and then passed the phone to his sister.
"Hola Madre." Shay said into the phone.
"Hello baby girl, how are you doing?"
"I am good, I am getting really good at singing Set Fire to the Rain! My teacher says that I am close to perfect and that I am singing it at Regionals! Mike is jealous that I am getting a solo!" Shay said and Santana could feel the smile in her voice.
"Thats great Shay! I am so proud of you! I always sang Adele in high school. I sang Someone Like You with you Auntie Mercedes at Nationals when we won in our senior year."
"Thats awesome Mami!"
"I need to talk to Tony know baby, I don't have much time left on the phone. Te amo bebe." Santana said.
"Love you too Mami!" Shay said and passed the phone to her younger brother.
"MAMI!" Tony said loudly making his mothers and brother and sister laugh. "I miss you so much Mami!"
"I miss you too mijo. How are you little man?" Santana asked.
"I am good."
"Mom said that you have been watching too much SpongeBob again. Is that true?"
"Maybe, I love you bye here is Mom." Tony said hurriedly and threw the phone at Brittany.
"What did you say to Tony?" Brittany said laughing at her sons antics. He was just like her.
"I asked him how much SpongeBob he has been watching lately." Santana laughed. "I have to go anyway B, I love you. Have a good flight! Tell everyone I say hello if I can't call. I love you my Brittany! Te amo mi amor!"
"I love you too Santana." Brittany said.
XX
It was Saturday night. Brittany was in Lima standing in the familiar house. She was at the Lopez's house. Mike, Shay and Tony were staying the night. Brittany would be going to Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury's house after for the reunion and then back to her mothers house.
"Thanks, Mrs. Lopez." Brittany said as she hugged her mother in law and watched her kids run in to find their Abuelo.
"Brittany, Brittany, Brittany. I have known you for 35 years now. I have told you for 35 years to call me Sandra." Santana's mother said laughing.
"Sorry Mrs.- Sandra. I guess old habits die hard." Brittany said with a smile.
"Well you should be going Brittany. I will see you in the morning. Have fun at the reunion. Tell your mother I said hello!" Sandra said and hugged Brittany again before shoving her back out the door.
Brittany laughed at Santana's mother while she drove the short distance to Mr. Schuester's house. She parked on the street. She could tell that she was probably the last one there due to the amount of cars on the street. She ran up to the door and rang the bell. She was greeted by Mr. Schue who gave her a huge hug.
"Brittany! So glad to see you. Sorry that Santana couldn't be here tonight." he said leading her into the living room where they had always had their reunion parties.
When she entered the room she saw so many familiar faces. Kurt and Blaine were sitting near Puck and Quinn. Also in the room were Rachel, Artie, Mercedes, Mike and Tina. Sam was there too and even Rory had flown in from Ireland this year. Brittany hugged everyone and Ms. Pillsbury, or Mrs. Schuester when she entered the room.
They ate dinner, take out from Breadstix, and caught up. They all talked but this is the first time that they had all been together for the first time in a year, all except Santana and Finn of course. After dinner and dessert and a few jokes about Santana and how pissed she would be she was missing out on breadsticks, they went back into the living room and all sat together around the TV to watch the DVD of them at Nationals in 2012 when they won.
About half way through Mercedes and Santana's version of Someone Like You the doorbell rang and Mr. Schue ran out of the room to get it, it was late. He came back, but he wasn't alone. With him was the person that no Army spouse ever wants to see. He was dressed in all white.
"Mrs. Pierce, Mrs. Hudson. Can I speak with you please." he said in a deep calming voice.
"You can tell us here." Rachel said. Both she and Brittany had stood up when they saw him enter the room with Will.
"I am really sorry that I have to tell you two this, but earlier today a helicopter with Captain Thomas O'Malley, and Officers Santana Lopez and Finn Hudson was shot down by enemy forces. When US forces arrived on scene, Captain O'Malley was dead and Officers Lopez and Hudson were no where in sight. We believe that they have been taken captive. If they haven't well, the chances of survival in the desert in no mans land like that is sadly very slim. But at the moment they are both labeled as MIA, missing in action." he said. "I am sorry. I will leave you with your friends."
The room was silent, the man left and they heard him drive away. Every head in the room was moving, looking between Brittany and Rachel. No one knew what to say. Rachel left the house without a word to any of them and drove away.
"I have to go." was all Brittany said and she ran to her car and drove quickly back to her mothers house.
Her mother was sitting in the living when Brittany burst into the house, tears flowing freely and quickly down her cheeks.
"Brittany, what..." her mother said and Brittany collapsed into her mothers comforting embrace.
"She's missing Mom. She is missing, she might be dead." Brittany sobbed.
"Shhh. Shh, it'll be okay, you don't know that Britt." her mother said trying to comfort her daughter.
"Mom, how do I tell the kids?"