A/N: A new update? So soon? =P You better believe it!

Just a few review responses first.

veras333: Don't worry. It'll never get that dark. I can't bring myself to write depressed characters for prolonged periods of time anyways. Just check out what happened in this chapter :P The majority is sooo fluffy. But things will get more... let's say... complicated and difficult soon.

EvenInTheDark: That's a sweet idea =) It would be very cute. Unfortunately, this story will be a bit messier than that. I hope you still like it though!

RedDevilOutTheWindow: Yeah if Brittany had to go with any guy, I'd put her with Mike. But I agree. They'd always be too similar to last.

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The following Saturday afternoon, Santana once again found herself graced by the presence of a beautiful, and increasingly familiar, blonde. She tried to fight it for a while but one minute she was lying on her bed, holding her phone, staring at Brittany's name in a trance... and the next minute she was hitting send. She just couldn't stay away.

Do you like hiking?

Yeah =) Why?

There's this awesome trail that I go to sometimes. It's not far. And the view at the top of the mountain is really pretty. If you're free tomorrow, we should go for a picnic or something =P

Sure! That's sounds great! =D

Cool. Send me your address. I'll pick you up at like 1?

Santana was sitting in her car outside Brittany's apartment, reading over their text conversation for the millionth time that day. She was running a bit early so she figured it would be polite to wait a few minutes before going to the door. When she was satisfied that enough time had passed, Santana checked out her reflection in the rear-view mirror before making her way across the street and up to the building.

She pushed the small buzzer for the intercom under Brittany's apartment number and waited.

'Hello?'

'Hey Britt. It's me.' Santana announced, a giddy smile already taking over her features. She loved the way it felt to use the shortened version of her friend's name for the first time.

'Oh hey Santana. I'll be right down.' Brittany replied brightly.

As Santana waited, she mentally checked off the picnic supplies she'd brought with her, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Sandwiches. Check. Fruit. Check. Water. Check. Picnic blanket. Check.

She'd insisted that Brittany didn't have to bring anything. She would willingly haul their late lunch up the mountain by herself in her backpack just to make the day perfect... even if it was going to kill her spine.

When the door of the building swung open behind her, Santana spun around and swallowed hard at the sight. Brittany was sporting a tight white tank top and short blue running shorts. Her pale, creamy skin sparkled in the sunlight and her iridescent blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, showing off the flawless curve of her collarbones and shoulders. Santana could clearly make out the firm muscles in her long legs and the swell of her breasts beneath the white cotton top. She bit her lip to stop from gaping.

It's not that Santana hadn't expected Brittany to wear something sporty and summery. It was a beautiful, sunny day and they were about to do some pretty strenuous exercise. What else would she wear? Not to mention, she was clad in something very similar. Except with black where there was white and red where there was blue. But the dancer's body was just... amazing. She had to fight off the urge to do something wildly inappropriate.

'Afternoon.' Brittany grinned, setting a pair of sunglasses over her eyes.

'Hey... You ready to go?' Santana gestured over her shoulder towards the car, trying to be as casual as possible.

'Yep. All set.' Brittany slung on a small backpack that the Latina hadn't realized she was holding.

'What's in there? I told you not to bring anything.' Santana said with mock reprimand as they walked over to her car. It was a sporty little Volkswagen Golf convertible. Black of course. A gift for her 18th birthday from her barely present doctor father. Probably to make up for never being home.

'It's just my water. See?' Brittany pulled out a long tube from the side of the pack, waving it in front of Santana with a laugh.

'Oh. Right. I've seen those before.' Santana grinned.

'Mhmm. No need to get all snippy.'

'Hey. Don't get smart with me goldilocks. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.' Santana raised her eyebrow but opened the car door for Brittany anyways.

'Ooh. I'm shaking.' Brittany teased for a moment before climbing into her seat. 'Why thank you.'

'Of course.' Santana faked a small bow and rushed around to her side giggling.

'So what did I do to deserve such lovely treatment?' Brittany mused as Santana started the engine.

Santana flinched a little, realizing that she was making this into a date. It was one thing to get her mojo back and stop being a nervous wreck around the blonde... it was quite another to start laying on the moves.

Besides, the whole picnic thing? That was pretty date-like already. And she didn't want to push her luck.

'Nothing.' She shrugged, attempting to seem nonchalant. 'You're my guest. And I treat my guests well.'

Brittany just grinned and lifted a hand to feel the breeze as they drove along, wiggling her fingers at the sensation. 'I like your car. It's heaps cool.'

Santana smiled to herself but kept her eyes on the road, glad she'd decided to leave the top down today.

'So... Do you live alone or?' She found herself asking.

'Yeah.' Brittany nodded. 'But I'm hardly ever there. Between work and starting dance school a few weeks ago, I'm pretty much just home at night and then one day a weekend.'

'Do you like it? Dance school that is?' Santana wondered aloud.

'I do. I mean, it hasn't been long... and with work and everything I can get really tired. But it's what I love to do.' Brittany shrugged with a smile.

'I'm glad.' Santana turned her head for a second to glance over at the blonde, shooting her an encouraging look.

The girls were enveloped in a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive. Santana turned on the stereo, so soft music filled the air as they made their way out of town. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at their destination.

'Here we are.' Santana announced, grabbing her large backpack from the back seat and heaving it onto her shoulders.

'Whoa. Are we going all the way up there?' Brittany eyed the summit as she stepped out of the car.

'Uh huh. Why? Are you scared you won't make it?' Santana smirked, locking up and moving towards the trail.

'No!' Brittany snorted, running a bit to catch up.

'I thought you were a dancer. Aren't they supposed to be like super fit?' The Latina went on with a spark of mischief in her eyes.

'I am super fit! Check out these abs!' Brittany protested animatedly, suddenly lifting her tank top to reveal the toned, muscular stomach beneath.

Santana stared at the newly exposed flesh with wide eyes. 'Damn girl. You ain't kidding.'

Brittany laughed and released the material. 'And don't you forget it.' She punched Santana in the shoulder playfully and grinned as her friend mocked pain.

It took them about 2 and a half hours to make it all the way up the trail, moving at a relatively swift pace, only stopping for a quick drink or for Santana to adjust the huge pack on her shoulders. Brittany argued numerous times that she should have a turn at carrying it. But despite Santana's aching neck and back, she vehemently refused. On the way up, they chatted about books and TV shows. And played what Brittany affectionately referred to as 'Nature Bingo' – where the first one to spot five different animals (which they had to nominate at the beginning of the walk), would win.

Of course, Brittany won.

'Wow. You were right. This is beautiful.' Brittany murmured when they reached the summit.

At the end of the trail, there lay at a small grassy picnic area, with a tiny rock waterfall and a pond on one side and a perfect view of the town on the other.

Santana would have taken the time to watch Brittany's face as the girl eagerly took in their surroundings but she was pretty much exhausted at this point. She swiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead and shrugged out of the heavy backpack, cursing it quietly. Taking out the picnic blanket, she shook it out across the grass and scrambled to lie down.

'San! Come look!' Brittany called out to her from a bit further away.

'Ughhh... Tired. In a minute.' Santana grumbled; despite the little flutter she felt when Brittany had called her San.

'Now who's lazy?' Brittany teased, coming to stand near the Latina's head and blocking the sun from her face.

'Shh... Just stay right there. You're the perfect shade.'

Brittany giggled and took off her water pack as she also took a seat on the blanket.

'Eh. Sun!' Santana groaned and held up her hands in front of her face before quickly sitting up and adjusting her sunglasses. Brittany looked so gorgeous; her legs stretched out in front of her as she leaned back on her hands and stared at the view. Santana forced down a sigh of adoration. 'Hungry?'

Brittany turned to her and nodded energetically, her ponytail bouncing.

The Latina began unpacking their sandwiches and fruit, to the utter delight of the blonde beside her.

'Oh! That's so cute! You even cut the sandwiches into little triangles!'

Santana blushed, realizing her soft side was showing. She cleared her throat and kept her eyes on the food. 'Yeah. They're uh... easier to eat that way.'

For a few minutes they just enjoyed their snack, Santana already feeling some energy seep back into her aching muscles when she took a long swig of water and polished off a few pieces of apple.

'Do you have any brothers or sisters?' Brittany asked through a bite of PB&J sandwich.

Santana held back a giggle, finding it completely adorable. 'Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to talk with your mouth full?'

Brittany swallowed exaggeratedly and then poked her tongue out. 'Happy?'

'Yes.' Santana smirked. 'Now... what were you saying?'

'I said... Do you have any brothers or sisters?' Brittany rolled her eyes but grinned all the same.

'Nah.' The brunette leaned back onto her elbows, half lying down. 'I'm an only child.' She glanced over at Brittany. 'How bout you?'

The girl crossed her legs and beamed. 'Yeah. A younger sister. Katie.'

'How old is she?'

'Ten.' Brittany answered proudly. 'She's my little unicorn.'

'Naww. That's so sweet I think I might throw up.' Santana joked and scrunched her nose up.

'Don't be such a meanie!' Brittany laughed before suddenly launching herself at Santana and straddling her hips. The Latina was caught off guard by the abrupt movement, her breath catching in her throat. But once their position registered, she instinctively began to struggle beneath the blonde, bucking and twisting fiercely even as Brittany pinned her arms down above her head. 'Give?' She taunted.

'No!' Santana growled, continuing to squirm and fight. To be honest, she wasn't sure if she was actually trying to get Brittany off of her or if she just enjoyed the way their play fighting made her stomach twist and her heart race.

Brittany smirked at her refusal to give up and with a strong grasp, held Santana's wrists with one hand and reached down to tickle her sides with the other.

The brunette fought hard not to giggle but was soon gasping for air at Brittany's unrelenting assault, finally squeaking out her surrender. 'Okay okay! I give!'

Brittany finally ceased her tickling but continued to hold her down. 'Are you gonna be nicer to me?'

Santana rolled her eyes and paused. She worried if she said yes Brittany might get off of her. The feel of the girl's body hovering so close to her own was incredibly thrilling. And the intoxicating smell of berries invaded against her nose as a stray golden lock fell onto her face. She wanted nothing more than to reach up and run her hands over Brittany's hips and thighs and pull her down so their bodies were tight against each other. Fucking hell! Stop it Santana! She has a boyfriend! Remember? 'Yes.' She groaned in annoyance. 'I'll be good.'

'That's better.' Brittany said smugly, climbing off of her new friend slowly. 'See? I always win.'

Santana narrowed her eyes at the blonde and sat up, rubbing her wrists. 'I let you win.'

'Ha! Sure you did.' Brittany scoffed and returned to her sandwich, ignoring the girl's glare.

They finished off their meal in a relaxed silence. The only sounds were coming from the soft breeze rustling past the trees around them, the chirping of some nearby birds and the gentle trickle of water against rock.

After the food was all gone, Brittany stood and gestured for Santana to follow her. They found a small boulder to sit on by the pond and quietly observed the tiny world that lived inside. Brittany took it upon herself to name all of the tadpoles and the few frogs while Santana absently pulled apart some blades of grass to keep her hands busy. She couldn't stop thinking how romantic the day was. Way more romantic than any date she'd ever been on.

Except that this was no date.

When Brittany was finally finished playing at the pond, she dragged Santana over to have another look at the view. The sun now sat much lower in the sky, sending waves of orange and purple light across the landscape.

'You're an excellent tour guide. I had no idea there was anything like this around here.' Brittany said peacefully.

'Thanks. I'm glad you like it.' Santana answered, not taking her eyes off the view and doing her best to hide the overwhelming happiness she felt swelling in her heart.

'You should show me some more cool places. I bet you know heaps.' Brittany turned to her, a shy smile on her lips.

'Maybe a few.' Santana also moved to face the blonde. Their eyes met slowly, timidly. The moment was so intense that within a few seconds, Santana had to look away. She cleared her throat nervously. 'It's uh... getting late. We should probably head back before it gets dark.' She mumbled.

'Mmm yeah.' Brittany followed the Latina back over to their picnic area and helped her collect the remaining supplies into her backpack.

The trip down the mountain was much quicker. First of all it was downhill and secondly, the sun was no longer beating down on their heads and making each step just that little bit more difficult. They were at the bottom in less than 2 hours. But by then, the sun had completely disappeared from the sky, and the sound of crickets pervaded their ears as they climbed back into the car and began the trip hope.

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'It was really fun hanging out today.' Brittany smiled as they pulled into her street.

'Yeah. I had a great time.' Santana chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds, debating her next move carefully. She knew that things with Brittany had gotten kind of hard today... especially with the girl straddling her hips. But she couldn't deny the telltale ache she felt in her heart now that they were separating. She wanted so badly to see her again. And soon. 'So listen... Next Friday I was thinking... We should have a horror movie night.' Santana began to ramble. 'Because you said you wouldn't mind giving them another go... remember?'

Brittany giggled. 'Yeah I did say that huh.' She thought for a second before turning to look Santana in the eye. 'Okay. I'm game. Let's do it!'

Santana couldn't help the broad smile that lit up her face. 'Awesome. I'll text you with my address sometime this week.'

'Sounds like a plan.' Brittany beamed, leaning over to give the Latina a quick hug before climbing out of the car. 'See you then!'

And with that, she bounced across the street and up into her apartment.

Santana watched until she was out of sight before leaning back heavily against the headrest. Her skin still tingled where Brittany had wrapped her arms around her. And now that she was alone, the reality of her situation began to settle inside of her. Everything that she had been forcing down and ignoring all day finally hit home. Hard.

She had to be fucking crazy. Why the hell was she doing this to herself? Brittany was taken. She was already pushing things way too far by inviting her on such a cosy little picnic. And now a movie night? In her house? Probably her bedroom? Just the two of them? There was no other explanation. She had completely lost her mind.

Why did she want to torture herself like this?

Tears began to prickle at Santana's eyes and fall down her cheeks as she put the car into drive and took off down the street. She felt so empty. More than she'd ever felt before Brittany had come into her life. Because now, her dream girl was sitting right in front of her and she couldn't have her. The thought burrowed a deep hole in her chest and settled in for a long stay.

The worst part was she could have avoided this. If she'd just been able to show some fucking restraint. But no. Instead she had to run her mouth and ask Brittany over the first chance she got.

She felt as though she was living in two separate worlds. When she was with Brittany, it was like being in a beautiful, picturesque fantasy land, where everything was soft and warm and just... perfect. And then, when she was alone, she was suddenly seized back to cold, hard reality. The worst part was, while taking her trips to Brittany land, Santana became intoxicated and practically delirious with joy, which among other things, severely impaired her judgement and caused her to make irrational decisions like inviting the girl to her house.

Santana held back a loud sob, her hands gripping the steering wheel fiercely until her knuckles turned white. How did I get here? How did I let myself fall so hard? Before she met Brittany, Santana was so sure that she'd never open herself up to anyone like this again. She promised herself that she'd wait until she was sure.

But I am sure. Santana cried desperately in her head and sucked in a shaky breath, the road growing more and more blurry. When she was with Brittany, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She couldn't shut down her emotions and keep up her carefully constructed walls even if she tried. She didn't choose to let the blonde in... the world had ripped her open and forced Brittany inside of her heart. And now, she was everywhere. She was in her blood, in her air, under her skin... she was all she could think about. All she wanted.

And Santana was absolutely terrified.

The one thing she had been so adamant about, the one thing she had sworn to fight against... She'd fallen for someone who was wrong for her... who would only end up hurting her. But is she really wrong for me? Or is it just the wrong time?

She was in the worst mess possible. And unlike almost every other situation in her life, Santana didn't think she had the strength to fight her way out of it.

She had already lost.

She belonged to Brittany, mind, heart, body and soul, and the girl didn't even know it.

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A/N: A short chapter but a very quick update =) So I think it balances out. The next one will be much longer.

Just a warning, I've been churning these chapters out pretty rapidly lately. I hope to keep it up and I'm going to try and get as much done this month as possible. But I'm starting back at school soon and it's gonna be a tough year (last year of uni/college/whatever you wanna call it lol). So come late Feb-March, the updates will probably slow a bit.

Anyways, I know you guys just reviewed but give me your thoughts on this anyways =)