Follow up to the first prompt

It has been exactly seven months, one week, three days, and fourteen hours since Dani's accident.

It has been exactly one month, two weeks, one day, and twelve hours since she woke up with amnesia.

Santana hasn't stopped crying since.

xoxo

"How are you?" Rachel asks one day. This certain café just a couple of blocks from Santana's apartment has been their usual go-to place when they just want to relax ever since the accident. They sit by the window, with Rachel sipping her coffee, and Santana staring out the window, watching people pass by.

Santana doesn't tear her eyes away from watching a couple warm each other's hands and laughing like they have no care for the world. With the softly falling snow, the scene almost looks like a page from a fairytale. It twists something in Santana's stomach. She was like that once with Dani. "I'm fine," she finally says.

Rachel keeps her eyes on the Latina, watching her over her steaming cup. She knows Santana is lying, but she doesn't push, not like she did before. She doesn't want her to break again. She knows Santana will talk when she's ready.

It takes about half an hour for Santana to reach that point.

"I just," she begins, letting out a sigh that almost makes Rachel cry. "I miss her."

Rachel only nods. Dani waking up just to say, 'Who are you?' is hard enough. To learn that she would never retrieve her memories again is unbearable.

"We used to always be together," Santana continues. "We never spent time apart except for those three stupid days."

Rachel sighs into her cup. She knows. She sees it in Santana's eyes. She blames herself.

"I was going to marry her, you know? Back then, when I imagined this, I thought I would be at the altar with her." Santana shakes her head and bites back a sob. "Not this. Never this."

"You could still have that," Rachel finally speaks.

Santana's eyes whip to her so fast. "How?" she growls out. "How will I do that when she won't even talk to me?"

Rachel doesn't know. Dani woke up, and when they tried to tell her she was dating Santana, she freaked out. The two brunettes were shocked, only knowing the side of the blonde that was confident in her sexuality, but it seemed as though all that was erased in that one moment.

"Fuck, I can't do this, Rach," Santana whimpers. "I thought I had her again when she woke up, but I still lost her."

"You can still have her," Rachel assures. She puts as much sincerity into her eyes as she can as she makes the other girl look at her. "You're soulmates. This, whatever it is, is just going to make you stronger."

Santana shakes her head. "This isn't a movie, Rach. It's not like 'The Vow' or some other film where they get a happy ending." She gestures around. "This. This is my own personal hell on earth. I love her, dammit. I gave up everything to be with her."

"That's why you deserve a happy ending with her all the more!"

Santana has had enough. She slams her palms on the table, making the condiments of the side rattle lightly, as she stands up. She glares at her best friend, tears already running down her cheeks. She doesn't say anything as she walks away.

xoxo

It's been exactly three days, nine hours, and eighteen minutes since Santana left that café.

Now she's sitting at another coffee shop a couple of blocks from that café, her fingers drumming furiously on her laptop.

That's all she does now. After the first few attempts of reconnecting with Dani and being told to leave her alone every single time, she drowned herself in work.

She's now the junior partner at the office. She's making loads of money, and maybe a few months ago, she would be ecstatic. Now, she's just this robot.

She doesn't know what makes her look up from the numbers on her screen. Maybe, it's a strange pull. Whatever, she hates it. She hates it because when she looks up, she sees Dani on the other side of the street, with a man's arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Apparently, robots still get their metallic hearts broken.

xoxo

It's been…

Santana doesn't know. Time blurs now. She keeps seeing Dani with that man. Then she sees Dani with other men.

She's sitting on her expensive, comfortable couch at her quiet apartment. It's hers now. Not ours. It hasn't been ours for a long while.

Santana wants to cry. She wants to release some of the hurt she's feeling. She wants to at least feel a small bit of comfort, but she can't. No tears come to her, and maybe that happens when someone truly falls to the bottom of the pit of despair.

She's gone. She's gone and she doesn't know if someone can pull her out anymore.

xoxo

She falls asleep. She doesn't know when, or how long she's been out. All she knows is that she's still in the couch. All she knows is that she hears the door shut.

She immediately panics. Is someone breaking in her house?

She sits up and lifts her arms over her face in defense.

"What are you doing?" she hears a throaty voice say.

Her breath falters and her arms go limp. She sees familiar dyed blonde hair and warm brown eyes.

"Dani?"

Dani smiles softly. "I thought I had to come home sometime soon, you know."

"Your memories…" Santana trails off. She doesn't want to get her hopes up, but a smile still finds its way to her lips. Just the sight of Dani here is enough to erase the past few months.

"Are still gone," Dani says. "But there was something – something that just didn't feel right since."

Santana arches a brow. Dani grins. It feels as though nothing has changed.

Except, everything has.

"I was scared when you said that you're my girlfriend because all I remember is trying to deny that fact," Dani continues. "Then I wake up to find that I have a girlfriend – who is totally hot and gorgeous," she winks. "and I panicked. It was stupid, I know. I've tried to repress it again, but I keep feeling this pull."

Dani takes a step forward. She gestures between her and Santana. "This pull."

"I still don't remember anything, but I don't want to deny this much longer. I… I want to start over." Dani takes another step forward. "I want to try again, Santana."

Santana doesn't even realize that she's crying. "I missed you."

Dani pulls her in for a hug. "It doesn't matter. I'm home."