Author's note: I'm so excited that everyone seemed to really enjoy Ch 18. I think you all will enjoy the amount of info contained in this chapter too. It's one of my longest chapters thus far.
Be sure to check out the end note for the top 5 names for Brittany's little sister. I appreciate how much interested you all showed. You guys gave me so many wonderful suggestions. It was really hard to pick the final choices!
And to "Amazed Critic"– I'm honored. Thank you so very much. :)
Her Smile Heals Me (part 19)
"How was Santana yesterday?" Mrs. Lopez asked, concern in her voice.
Brittany looked up from the copy of Ladies Home Journal she was thumbing through and answered, "She was pretty good…she slept most of the day…but she did eat twice so I was glad for that."
"Did she say much?" Santana's mother inquired.
Brittany smiled at the older Latina, encouraged by a few conversations with Santana throughout the day on Monday, "Her words are coming more and more."
Mrs. Lopez sighed with relief, "That's great to hear."
"I'm glad you were able to get her an appointment so quickly," Brittany said.
"I called as soon as the office opened yesterday, and they had a cancellation for this afternoon," Mrs. Lopez explained.
Brittany saw Santana out of the corner of her eye as she came walking back to the waiting area.
"That sucked," Santana said as she sat in a seat next to Brittany, facing her mother, in a group of padded chairs which lined the wall along the far corner of the lobby.
Brittany could see a white bandage on the inside-bend of both of Santana's arms and a beige band-aid, covering a large cotton ball, taped to the back of her left hand. "What happened?"
"The lab couldn't find a vein…," she told them, "….the tech said I was dehydrated."
"Oh goodness, mija," Mrs. Lopez said sympathetically.
"He blew out the first two…," Santana said then pointed to the band-aid on her hand, "…before getting this one to work."
"Ouch," Brittany said, wrinkling her nose and taking Santana's opposite hand into hers, interlocking their fingers and bringing it up to her lips for a kiss, "I'm sorry, hon."
"Thanks," Santana smiled warmly back at Brittany.
Mrs. Lopez cast her eyes downward at the girls' display of affection, subtly shifting her gaze around the rest of the waiting area, before looking back down at the Reader's Digest in her hands, swallowing hard but saying nothing.
Santana lowered her head and sat quietly for a few seconds, alarming Brittany.
"Are you okay, honey?" she leaned toward the brunette to inquire in a hushed tone.
"I feel light-headed," she whispered.
Brittany looked up at Mrs. Lopez with concern, "She's dizzy."
"Let me ask the receptionist for some water," the older Latina said, patting Santana's knee as she stood, "Just close your eyes and sit still."
Brittany watched over her shoulder as Mrs. Lopez spoke to a red-haired woman at the front counter then turned back to Santana, "Do you need food too, you think? I can walk across the street to the gas station and get you a granola bar or some cookies or something?"
"Just sit with me," Santana squeezed Brittany's hand, without opening her eyes.
Brittany sat for a few minutes, watching her girlfriend closely, and she could see Santana's hands shaking.
"Here you go…take small sips," Mrs. Lopez said as she sat back down and stretched out her hand with the clear plastic cup that held cold water.
Brittany leaned forward to take the cup and hand it to Santana who was trying not to make sudden moves. She put the small cup in Santana's hand then rubbed her back gently as she took a sip then another.
Santana's mother dug around in her hand bag until she found a peppermint then handed it to Brittany, "Try this…her blood sugar may be low."
Brittany looked up at Mrs. Lopez, smiling, and took the mint to unwrap it for Santana, replying, "Thank you."
Mrs. Lopez smiled and nodded. She was trying to push her maternal instinct back some in order to allow Brittany to continue to care for Santana, since it was clear to the older Latina that Brittany brought such comfort to her daughter.
"Santana?" a nurse called from the entry that opened to the back section of the doctor's office.
Santana stood slowly, pulling on Brittany's arm, "Come with me?"
"You sure?" the blonde wasn't sure about the circumstances and privacy issues.
"Please," Santana's eyes pleaded more than her words so Brittany stood and walked behind Santana as she followed the nurse through the back corridor.
"Right in here," the nurse instructed, sliding Santana's chart into the clear holder on the front of the exam room door before ushering them inside, "Take a seat up here…and I'll get your blood pressure and temp before the doctor comes in."
When the nurse left the room, Brittany helped Santana with her balance as she stepped up on the metal step and turned to sit at the foot of the gray exam table, handing Brittany the mostly-empty cup. The tall blonde moved to the side of the small, square room as the nurse returned, pushing a medical cart in front of her.
The older woman did not say much as she methodically put the blood pressure cuff around Santana's slender arm, fastening the velcro in place. She pushed two buttons on the cart which beeped loudly before the sleeve started automatically filling itself with air while she slid the thermometer into a plastic cover.
"Open please," the nurse said to Santana before she placed the thermometer under her tongue and held it there until it beeped, "Thank you."
The nurse removed the sleeve of the blood pressure machine once it was completed with its two cycles. "Your blood pressure is high for your age," she commented as she wrote something on a small notepad she took out of the side pocket of her purple scrubs then she walked up to the cabinet over the interior sink, removing a blue paper gown and setting it on the counter, "Ok, go ahead and remove your clothes, even undergarments, and put this on so that it opens in the front…I'll be back in a few minutes."
Brittany smiled politely when the nurse looked over at her before leaving the room, shutting the door as she walked out.
Santana slid off the exam table and gave Brittany a look of dread before she lifted her arms and removed her white, cotton blouse, laying it across the arm of a side chair near the sink, before removing her sandals and denim skirt.
"Did you want anymore of this water?" Brittany asked her, motioning with the cup she still held in her hand.
Santana accepted the cup and drank the last sip of water then tossed it into a silver trash canister.
Brittany unfolded the paper gown for Santana as she removed her bra. The Latina turned and pushed her brown-skinned arms through the two holes in the gown Brittany held up for her, removing her white panties before stepping back up on the exam table and leaning back on it with the gown wrapped around her and her ankles crossed.
As Santana sat there awaiting the return of the nurse, Brittany busied herself with neatly folding Santana's clothes, respectfully hiding her bra and panties between the folded skirt and white shirt on top.
"Nervous?" the tall blonde asked Santana, rubbing her hand up and down Santana's upper arm, the thin paper of the gown crinkling as her hand moved.
The Latina let out a slow breath of air, trying to calm herself, "Yeah."
"Did the water help your head?"
"Yes…thank you," Santana gave her a warm smile of gratitude for being with her during this appointment.
"You're sure you want me in here during this?"
Santana reached her hand out, and Brittany took it in hers, "Definitely."
The girls sat quietly for a few minutes until there was a light rap on the wood of the door. "Ready?" the nurse asked through a crack.
"Yes," Santana confirmed, shifting nervously.
The nurse pushed the door the rest of the way opened and walked in carrying a silver tray covered in blue paper, setting it on a silver stand near the sink next to where Brittany was seated.
An attractive woman in her late thirties walked in behind the nurse, flipping through Santana's chart.
She looked up and acknowledged Santana then turned to Brittany, "Hi, I'm Dr. Westin."
"Brittany," she responded with a polite smile.
"Santana, let me have you sit up," the doctor moved up next to the exam table. She pulled out her stethoscope and placed it in her ears while putting the round portion against Santana's upper chest, "Take a deep breath for me…good…another…good…one more."
Santana sat straight up on the table and quietly followed the doctor's instructions as she moved the round part of her stethoscope to the teen's back, "Deep breath…again…again...okay."
The young brunette relaxed back against the raised portion of the exam table.
"Your breathing sounds labored…," Dr. Westin commented as she removed her scope, draping it around her neck, then she felt down Santana's neck on both sides then her shoulders then slowly down the rest of the Latina's body, "Do you smoke Santana?"
Brittany bit at her lip, hoping Santana would be truthful.
"Occasionally," the Latina stated.
Brittany rolled her eyes at that answer but held her tongue.
"Okay, lay back for me please," the doctor requested, encouragingly patting Santana on her shoulder. The young doctor opened a portion of the gown so she could manipulate Santana's stomach muscles, "You haven't been getting enough fluids, dear…your body is dehydrated."
"So I hear…," Santana said, looking down at the white bandages on her inner arms.
"The lab tech had a little trouble drawing blood, I see," the doctor commented, picking up Santana's chart again, "Your blood pressure is high…as is your temperature…have you felt tired lately?"
"That's all I've felt," Santana answered truthfully.
"Muscle aches?"
"Yes."
"Headaches?"
"Yes."
"Any nausea?"
"Yes."
"Any trouble urinating?"
"I haven't had to go much lately," the brunette answered honestly.
"Uhuh…we need to get that regulated quickly or your organs are going to be compromised," the doctor told her sternly but with a caring smile, "Chronic dehydration can lead to seizures…and to respiratory and kidney failure…and the smoking is not helping."
Brittany took in a deep breath as her concern about Santana's condition was affirmed.
"We'll get you started on a high-dose multi-vitamin until we get your labwork back and see what specific deficits you have…before you leave, Cynthia will give you a shot of potassium which should help you feel better immediately."
Santana looked over her shoulder at Brittany who simply smiled back at her.
"You need to drink more fluids and eat better, Santana…once you do then your body will start to feel stronger and you'll have more energy," Dr. Westin said, "Are you still taking your medication Dr. Shane prescribed?"
"Um, I've sort of been forgetting lately," Santana answered.
"When do you see her again?"
"I have an appointment this Thursday," the teen told her.
"Good…be sure to talk to her about getting back on schedule with that, ok?"
"Okay."
"I'll have your chart emailed to her as well, because some of the medications prescribed for anxiety and depression can cause the same symptoms you are experiencing...," Dr. Westin explained, "…she and I will discuss that so we can make sure you are on the best choice for your body."
Brittany felt relief after hearing that information.
The doctor sat down on a round stool with wheels and crossed her legs at the knees so she could make a note in Santana's chart. She looked up, saying, "I need to ask you a few personal questions."
Santana looked at the nurse standing to her left then at Brittany sitting to her right.
"Should I leave?" Brittany asked.
"No, it's okay…I want you in here," Santana assured her, "Go ahead."
"How have you been feeling since the rape, Santana?"
"Physically? Okay, I guess."
"No bleeding?"
"Nothing that wasn't normal," Santana answered.
"Good…have you had any additional pain or numbness since you were released from the hospital?"
"Umm…not really," the Latina swallowed hard under the focused attention.
"No pain or burning when you urinate?"
"Not recently, no."
Brittany felt a rage flair inside her. Santana had refused to talk about any of the physical damage she suffered from the rape so Brittany never really thought about the specific pain and discomfort Santana had been experiencing over the last couple of months.
"Have you been sexually active in the last few weeks?"
Santana and Brittany both froze under the line of questioning. To Brittany, it seemed like a legitimate medical question, but it was still embarrassingly uncomfortable in the company of the doctor and nurse.
"Yes," Santana answered accurately.
"Your previous prescription for birth control would have expired…have you been careful to use protection?"
Santana heard Brittany clear her throat, and she saw out of the corner of her eye as the blonde shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Birth control isn't necessary, Dr. Westin," Santana tried to cryptically explain.
"Are you having intercourse with penetration?" the doctor simplified for clarity.
"Yes…but um…," Santana trailed off nervously.
The young doctor observed both teens look down. "Are you a lesbian, Santana?"
"Yes," Santana blushed.
"It's nothing for you to be embarrassed about, dear…I'm your doctor…if you want to discuss it further then just let me know, ok?" Dr. Westin patted her sweetly on the lower portion of her leg.
"Brittany's my girlfriend," Santana shared, much to Brittany's surprise.
Dr. Westin smiled warmly at the teens then continued matter-of-factly, "Alright…well, you missed your six-week checkup so we're going to go ahead and do a pelvic exam today."
"Let me lean this all the way back," the nurse said as she adjusted the exam table, "Go ahead and move all the way to the end, as far as you can."
Santana swallowed hard and adjusted herself on the table as instructed, reaching back for Brittany who took her hand and squeezed it.
"If you'll just put your foot here…," the doctor helped guide the teen's foot into one of the extended stirrups as Santana did the same with her other one, "…and just relax your legs, ok?"
Brittany nervously chewed on her upper lip, not sure if she should watch or look away, ultimately doing a mixture of both.
The doctor put on a pair of rubber gloves as the nurse covered Santana's lower half with a paper drape before pushing the silver tray closer to the doctor for easy access.
Santana looked back over her shoulder at Brittany and smiled a "this totally sucks" smile. Brittany moved to the edge of the chair to close most of the distance between her and Santana, leaning over and caressing the top of the brunette's head.
After several minutes, the exam was over, and the doctor removed her gloves as the nurse covered the tray of silver medical apparatus and pushed it back toward the wall.
"You can sit back up," the nurse told her as she raised the back portion of the exam table again to make it more comfortable for their patient.
"The medicated ointment appears to have worked well…though I do still see some inflammation and redness around the edges of the tissue where tearing was the deepest…," Dr. Westin reported, making notes in Santana's chart, "I'm going to prescribe another round of antibiotics."
Santana had heard this information before, but Brittany had not, and she was sure she heard a faint gasp from the tall blonde seated close to her.
"I also want you to get the ointment refilled and continue to use it because it has a steroid in it that will help…," the doctor advised, "…it's important to avoid scarring as much as possible…we don't want you to have any issues later down the road when you are ready to conceive children, ok?"
"Okay," she confirmed to her doctor.
"I want to see you back in two weeks…don't forget this time…," Dr. Westin said as she stood and walked up close to Santana and Brittany who were inches apart, instructing under her breath, "And be very careful in the sex department until you are completely healed, ok?"
Santana looked at Brittany before agreeing, "Okay."
"Good…," the doctor smiled at both of them, adding in Brittany's direction, "Brittany it was nice to meet you…I want you to make sure she eats consistently…broth, soups, vegetables…will all help tremendously."
"I will," Brittany returned the smile.
"And drink plenty of fluids…," Dr. Westin looked directly at Santana and patted her shoulder, "water, fruit juice, Gatorade…build back up those electrolytes…but stay away from coffee and alcohol, got it?"
"Got it…," Santana agreed.
"And no more smoking." Dr. Westin looked at her sternly.
"I'm quitting."
"Great idea…now sit tight and Cynthia will get you that injection then once you're dressed…they'll have your prescriptions for you at the check-out...," the doctor instructed, "…and don't forget to make your next appointment…two weeks out, got it?"
"Yes, Dr. Westin," Santana nodded obediently.
"Thank you," Brittany said as the doctor and nurse left the room.
"Please don't say 'I told you so'," Santana said softly as she waited for the nurse to return.
"I would never tell you that," Brittany said back to her with a smile, mentally grateful someone else did for her.
"Alright, this will be quick…just roll onto your left side please," the nurse instructed, reentering the exam room.
After the nurse administered the injection, she told her, "Just lay there for five minutes then you can get dressed and go up front."
"Thank you," the brunette told her as she left again, adding toward Brittany, "Oww."
Brittany grimaced back, "Sorry."
After five minutes of idle chit-chat, mostly consisting of Brittany chatting and Santana mentally wishing she had a cigarette, Santana slid off the table and removed the paper gown, throwing it in the trash can and accepting her undergarments from Brittany who could read on her girlfriend's face how horrible that whole ordeal was for her.
Once Santana was fully clothed, Brittany told her, "Come here…I want to hold you for a second."
Santana moved into Brittany's outstretched arms, resting her head on the taller girl's chest and enjoying the comfort she felt when Brittany enveloped her in a tight embrace.
"What's this for?" Santana asked, feeling Brittany kiss her on her forehead.
Brittany squeezed tighter, confirming, "Just because I can."
Quinn turned off the ignition of her Jetta and got out, moving toward the outside staircase that led up to Cate's garage apartment. Before she reached the top, the front door opened and the attractive brunette stepped out, carrying her black guitar case in one hand and a rolled quilt under the other.
"Ok, this is getting even more mysterious…," Quinn beamed, "…when do I get to know where we're going tonight?"
Cate stepped down four steps to close the gap between them and kissed the shorter blonde on the lips, "…when we get there." The older girl smiled and winked then passed up Quinn on the stairs, heading down toward the car.
Quinn pushed the automatic alarm on her key chain to unlock the car as Cate walked up to it. She watched as she slid her guitar into the backseat then threw the quilt on top.
"You driving?" Quinn asked as she walked up behind Cate, putting her arms around her for a hug.
"Yes ma'am!" Cate kissed the blonde again then took the keys to circle around to the driver's side of the car.
"Do I even get a hint?" Quinn asked, climbing into the passenger side of the car, closing the door shut, and putting on her seatbelt.
Cate paused as she put the key in the ignition, "Hmm…a hint? Something you told me about you on our first date."
"Wait, was this on our first date that I didn't know was a date…or our official first date?" Quinn teased.
"Our official first date to see Grand Hotel…," Cate confirmed, "…though actually, you told me at the restaurant after the movie."
Quinn laughed, "Geez, thanks for the hint…that really narrows it down." The blonde teen took Cate's hand in hers and brought it up for a kiss.
"Patience…," Cate told her with a wink.
"Oh okay."
The girls rode together, chatting about various topics, until Quinn could tell Cate was driving past the edge of town toward Lake Lima.
"You don't have a small shovel and a body bag rolled into that blanket do you?" Quinn asked jokingly.
"Maybe…," Cate teased, "Guess you'll have to trust me, huh?"
Quinn paused and looked at Cate's silhouette in the light of a passing car, and she smiled, thinking…I do trust you, Cate…with my heart.
Cate turned the car down a low-lit side road that wound its way down toward a small information booth in the middle of the road. The booth was closed, but the entrance was opened so Cate passed it slowly and continued up the paved road.
"It's pretty dark out here…that's not helping your cause, Catherine…," Quinn chuckled.
"I don't need light, I know these woods like the back of my hand."
"Again…not helping!"
Cate laughed hard as she pulled the Jetta off the paved road into a small cut out in a group of trees and slowed to a stop, "Okay, lovely…let's go!"
She got out of the car and circled the back of it to help Quinn as she stepped out into the ankle-high grass.
"I think I'm over-dressed for this outing," Quinn commented looking down at her sundress and wedge-heeled espadrilles, each with a large pink flower on the toe.
"You'll be fine," Cate assured her, removing the blanket and guitar case from the back of the car and closing the back passenger-side door. She handed the quilt to Quinn and said, "Here, you carry my shovel and duct tape."
Quinn playfully slapped the older girl's shoulder, saying, "Stop it!"
"Kidding," Cate laughed, grabbing Quinn's hand and pulling her deeper into the wooded area, "Come on."
The young blonde could tell they were walking down a slight hill, but the ground was not solid at every step. Quinn was having trouble keeping her balance with her higher heels, and she could not see very well even though Cate was leading the way. Tripping over a rock or something hard, she hollered out, "Aahh…Cate."
"You okay?" the tall brunette asked, stopping and turning back toward the younger girl.
"Maybe I should take these shoes off."
"We're nearly there…here, hop on…," Cate suggested turning her back to Quinn.
"Seriously?" Quinn wrinkled her nose at the idea of appearing helpless.
"It's okay…when's the last time you had a piggy-back ride?" Cate made light of it.
Quinn hiked up the skirt of her dress and jumped up on Cate's back. Quinn felt the taller girl link her right arm under her right leg to hoist her up, and the teen tightened her grasp around Cate's neck.
Cate walked the two of them the rest of the way down the path until they were out of the tree line and Quinn could see they were approaching the edge of the lake. Without the coverage of the trees, the light from the moon shined on the water and illuminated the darkness much more than Quinn anticipated.
"Oh wow, it's beautiful out here," she said as Cate lowered her back to the flatter ground.
"See…I told you to trust me," Cate pulled Quinn by the waist toward her, kissing her tenderly.
Quinn flushed under the sentiment though Cate couldn't see that in the night surrounding them.
"This way," Cate walked a few feet more until she stopped at a flat clearing and set down her guitar case. She took the quilt from Quinn, unfolding it and spreading it on the ground, she stepped out of her black Doc Marten boots and suggested, "Now you can remove those shoes."
The blonde followed Cate's lead, removing her wedges, then she sat down next to her in the center of the large blanket and looked up, observing, "The stars are so bright tonight."
"That's because they're looking down at you," Cate said sweetly, making Quinn's heart swoon.
"Thank you for this," Quinn said softly, leaning over onto Cate, now remembering telling her about how much she loved when her father took her and her older sister outside to look at the constellations. Those moments with him seemed like such a lifetime ago now that Quinn saw her father as such a different man. He certainly would see me differently now…Quinn thought, looking up at Cate's face in the bright moonlight.
"You're very welcome…," the older girl smiled broadly, "…sooo…tell me some of the constellations."
Quinn leaned all the way back onto the blanket, pulling Cate with her and pointing, "…see that bright star there? Then those…there…there…and there?" Quinn pointed until she had outlined seven brightly lit stars, "That's the big dipper."
Cate held Quinn close and followed the teen's finger with her gaze. "Yes, I see."
"And though it's hard to see without a telescope…the stars on the outer portion there…see, on the outer bowl of the dipper?…just over the horizon? They form part of Ursa Major."
"Ursa Major?"
"The great bear."
"Fascinating," Cate replied, enjoying seeing Quinn excited about sharing something from her childhood.
The two girls cuddled together on the big blanket, gazing up at the stars for awhile, as Quinn pointed out different things she remembered from her youth.
"Okay, I shared with you…now you play for me," the young blonde said.
"Now?"
"Right now…I'm ready for my own private concert," Quinn assured her with a wink.
Cate sat up and opened her case to remove her acoustic guitar, sitting crossed-leg, while Quinn rolled over on her side to face the older girl.
"What shall I play?" Cate asked, strumming softly to warm up her fingers.
"You choose," Quinn smiled.
"Hmm…well…," Cate strummed as she thought, a sudden feeling of bashfulness buzzing inside her mind, wanting to pick the right song to serenade Quinn for the first time, "How about some classic rock?"
Quinn told her, "Okay…sounds perfect."
Cate started softly strumming the chords then began to sing in a very pretty, melodic voice:
It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money, but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live…
So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do
See I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is, what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen…
And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple, but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
that I put down in words
How wonderful life is now you're in the world.
If I was a sculptor, but then again no
Or a girl who makes potions in a traveling show
I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song, and this one's for you…
And you can tell everybody, this is your song
It may be quite simple, but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is now you're in the world.
Quinn was truly touched at the message in the lyrics of Cate's choice of song and the beauty of the girl smiling back at her. "You better be careful, Cate Boyd…," Quinn warned as she pulled herself up to her knees to sit face to face with Cate, "…you're going to make me fall in love with you."
Cate broadened her grin and looked downward, blushing.
Quinn took the guitar from the brunette and gently set it on top of her closed case then pulled Cate down on top of her, kissing her passionately.
The two of them explored each other for several minutes as they kissed deeper and more energetically. Quinn ran her hands through the older girl's wavy, brown hair then down Cate's spine to rest on her slim hips, slipping her fingers just under the waistband of Cate's jeans.
Cate could tell that Quinn was getting bolder with her hand placements, enjoying their growing intimacy, but the older girl was still consciously respectful of Quinn's questionable sexuality, never wanting to push too hard.
"Cate," Quinn whispered breathlessly.
"Yes," Cate paused to respond.
"I want to make love to you…right now…but I don't know what to do."
"Are you sure?" the brunette's mind started racing.
"Definitely…," Quinn's mind started racing.
"Then don't worry about what to do…just let me take care of you…," Cate whispered in Quinn's ear, "…but…if you want to stop at any point then just say so, ok?"
"Uhuh…but I don't want to stop," Quinn said then grabbed Cate's face and pulled it down to meet her lips, opening her mouth for Cate's tongue.
The older girl tried to subtly find a way for her hands to penetrate the cotton of Quinn's form-fitting, white sundress, but after a few minutes of clumsy groping, she gave up and laughed, "How do I get you out of this thing?"
Quinn was glad for the momentary break in her rising nervousness, sharing the laugh, "The zipper is on the side here."
"Ahh, gotcha…," Cate said appreciatively, reaching around her and fumbling with locating the metal of the zipper under the moonlight.
Quinn rolled slightly to assist Cate in her efforts, feeling the butterflies in her stomach flutter as she felt the zipper coming all the way down.
Cate eased the thin cotton straps off of Quinn's shoulders then unhooked her bra in the front, revealing her soft breasts. She looked at the younger girl in the moonlight and took a deep breath of air before saying, "You are breathtaking, Quinn Fabray."
"I want to feel your skin next to mine," Quinn told her, reaching up to unbutton Cate's shirt. Once the shirt was opened, Cate pulled her arm out of it as Quinn tugged on the fabric. The taller girl then lifted her arms to pull her ribbed tank over her head, exposing her own bare chest.
Cate pulled Quinn tighter into her arms, kissing her again. She delicately moved to Quinn's neck and began a trail of kisses downward, stopping at the blonde's nipple. Cate licked at it which instantly made Quinn arch up into her mouth so she sucked hard which elicited a verbal response.
"You like that, huh?"
"Uhuh."
Cate moved over the top of Quinn, straddling her hips and squeezing both of Quinn's breasts, before leaning back down to suck her left nipple then the right one then the left one again, feeling Quinn's hips buck beneath her.
Quinn had obviously had intercourse before…Beth was proof of that…but the teenager had never had a sexual encounter that focused on exciting all of her senses. The pleasure she currently felt was nothing she had ever experienced before, and the heat within her was making its way deep to her core.
As Cate moved further down Quinn's torso, she pulled down more of the fabric of her sundress. The brunette moved her leg so that when Quinn lifted herself up, Cate could pull the dress the rest of the way off.
"Good thing it's a warm night," Cate smiled down at the exposed blonde.
"Yeah, good thing…," she responded, reaching to unzip Cate's black jeans, pushing the older girl over onto her back and pulling the pants off of her in one forceful gesture.
"Well hello, wild Quinn," Cate teased.
Quinn licked up the center of Cate's chest in one solid move, squeezing both of her nipples, saying in an almost guttural purr, "Hello."
As the two girls kissed again, with an added edge of urgency and intensity, Cate rolled the blonde back over, pinning her arms down on the blanket and sucking expertly on the crook of her neck.
Quinn moaned loudly, the loss of control feeling intoxicating to her.
The tall brunette moved further down Quinn's body again, her fingertips trailing down the blonde's smooth skin, over her taut stomach, and down to the curve of her hips. Cate teased at Quinn by running her finger across the cotton covering her center, feeling the collected wetness on the fabric, before running her tongue across the same path.
"You're sure you're okay with this?" Cate checked in with the teen.
"Oh yes…don't stop…please," Quinn said breathlessly, the anticipation now feeling exhilarating to her.
Cate pulled down on Quinn's underwear, the blonde kicking them off the rest of the way. The older girl lowered herself between Quinn's legs, spreading her knees wider and raising up her hips to a strategic position, dipping her long tongue deep within the young girl's folds and licking the length of Quinn's vulva.
"Oh god!" Quinn cried out, her eyes rolling in the back of her head as she grabbed at the blanket beneath her hands.
Cate wrapped her arms more tightly around Quinn's hips for better control and continued licking at her core, stopping at her clit with each pass of her tongue, circling it, flicking it, sucking it, until Quinn's hips were rotating to the same rhythm.
Cate penetrate her tongue deep inside Quinn over and over and over. Once Quinn replaced her grasp from the quilt's fabric to the top of Cate's head, pulling Cate's face deeper into her, the brunette knew Quinn wasn't going to last much longer.
"Oh…my…god," then teen said loudly.
Cate smiled as she heard loud moans escaping from Quinn, stopping her oral assault just short of pushing Quinn over the edge.
She lowered Quinn's hips to the ground so she could free one of her arms, traveling up her torso to kiss her passionately.
Quinn's senses were so heightened that even the taste of herself on Cate's lips made her woozy and breathless.
"You are so sexy…," Cate whispered in Quinn's ear. She pulled the blonde's trim body up into her left arm so she could return her attention to Quinn's breasts, sucking on each of her nipples as she pushed the middle finger of her right hand inside the young blonde.
Cate thought Quinn would come right then as she started to move inside her, hearing a combination of moans and shaky releases of air, but she didn't let up, adding her index finger, sliding both fingers in and out, sucking at Quinn's hardened nipples at the same time.
"Oh god, Cate…," Quinn confirmed, her hands returning to tangle themselves in Cate's hair, "…please don't stop."
Cate continued holding up the weight of Quinn's body with one arm, devouring her breasts, while moving faster and faster inside her with the other, rubbing consistently at her throbbing clit, until Quinn went stiff in her embrace, pulling Cate's body into hers as she quivered hard under the force of her orgasm.
Once Quinn's body stopped trembling, Cate lowered her gently to the blanket, collapsing on top of her, both of them sweating and out of breath in the warmth of the late June air.
The two of them continued to lay entangled until their breathing and pulses returned to normal.
"That…was…amazing," Quinn declared, having experienced nothing like that ever before.
Cate pulled her closer, nuzzling her face into the crook of Quinn's neck, telling her softly, "No…youare amazing, Quinn."
"Here you go…," Brittany handed Santana a bottle of apple juice she brought from Quinn's kitchen.
"Thanks," Santana said, setting it on the floor next to the couch where she was laying.
"Tan, come on…it's for drinking," Brittany said, bending over and handing it to her again.
Santana sat up on the couch and unscrewed the top to the bottle and took a couple of long sips before closing it again, asking, "Good enough?"
Brittany slid into the space behind the brunette, pulling her back into her arms, saying matter-of-factly, "Yes."
Santana rolled her eyes at the blonde and leaned forward to set the bottle on the nearby glass coffee table.
"Oh stop, don't be like that, honey…I just worry about you is all," Brittany explained.
"I know," Santana turned so that she could lay her head against Brittany's chest, pulling her blanket up over her shoulder and pushing play on the DVD remote control.
"Are you into this movie?" Brittany asked, soaking up the feeling of Santana's weight pressed against her, as she lay between the blonde's long legs.
"Not really."
"Let's just stop it then…ok?"
"Yeah, it's getting late anyway," Santana handed the blonde the remote so she could stop the DVD. "Tell me more about your camp," Santana said, wrapping her arms around Brittany's torso.
"There's not much more to tell…I'll go back next June…it should be fun."
"I want to be sure to see you win next time," Santana said sadly.
"Oh, I probably won't win twice in a row…but if I do…then you better be there," Brittany tried to make light of the disappointment she felt with Santana's absence, squeezing her tightly.
"I'm really sorry, Britt," Santana added with a deep sigh, "I hate that I missed your big moment."
Brittany lowered her head and kissed Santana on the cheek, "I forgive you…I'm just so glad you're back…alive."
Santana lay quietly in Brittany's arms for a moment before she told the blonde, "I didn't cheat on you, Britt…I want you to know that."
"I didn't want to ask…but I sort of worried what the answer would be," Brittany confessed softly.
"I would never do that to you…I promise you," Santana assured her.
"I believe you…I just wasn't sure you knew what you were doing the whole time you were gone," the blonde said with hurt in her voice.
Santana sat up and turned to face Brittany, "I've made a lot of bad choices in my life…but that's not one of them."
Brittany smiled, her whole body relaxing with relief, confirming, "Good."
Santana leaned forward and kissed Brittany passionately before pulling back to say, "I never want to make you doubt me."
"I just wish you would open up more and talk to me."
"I try, babe…I do."
"But like…I didn't know anything really about your injuries…until today," Brittany said with a look of sadness, "I hate that you suffered alone."
Santana's look turned serious and she cast her gaze downward, shrugging, "What could you have done to help?"
"I don't know…helped you medicate it? Kept an eye on it for you?" Brittany was grasping for her much desired connection, "…just something…anything…to help you feel you're not alone."
Santana leaned her head back against Brittany's chest and broke into a sob.
Brittany pulled her tightly into her body and whispered into her ear, "You are not alone, honey…you don't have to fight this by yourself…talk to me."
"He was so angry…I was so scared," Santana cried into Brittany's chest.
Brittany caressed the top of her head, encouraging her, "Keep talking."
"It was my fault…I provoked him…like putting my hand in a lion's mouth and thinking he wouldn't bite me," she said through her tears, "I should have kept my mouth shut, Britt…I have such a big fucking mouth."
Santana was crying so hard that Brittany could only make out about every second or third word, but she knew this moment was more for Santana than for her. She held her tightly and told her, "…keep going…what happened that night?"
"I can't…I don't want to think about it, Britt…it's too hard," she cried, her shoulders shaking.
"You need to get this out of you…if you keep it locked inside then it holds power over you forever," Brittany dug deep to find strength to push Santana through this, saying more sternly, "Tell me what happened."
"I couldn't get out from underneath him…I tried to push him off of me…he was just so heavy on top of me," Santana closed her eyes, remembering the sensation of Karofsky's full weight on top of her tiny frame, "I could barely breath."
"What did he do to you, sweetheart?" Brittany prompted.
"He ripped off my underwear…and I knew then what he was going to do."
"I know you had to be so scared at what was happening," Brittany tried to talk her through it, hoping Santana would follow.
"I couldn't stop it…I had no control…none," Santana chipped away at her thoughts.
"What did he do next?"
"He…uh…he tried to push inside me…but he couldn't."
Brittany felt her stomach turn, bile rising up in the back of her throat, causing her to swallow hard so she could remain calm for Santana, "Then what did he do?"
"He got angrier…it just pissed him off more…that's when he bit me…hard."
Brittany remembered the deep bite on the inside of Santana's left breast, so deep her soft skin was broken under the teeth marks, leaving traces of blood. The blonde also remembered seeing that same oval mark for weeks later as it slowly faded.
"Keep going, honey…get it all out," she coaxed Santana.
Fresh, hot tears came when the Latina thought of Karofsky's final violation, the pain was still vividly in her mind. "He jammed his fist inside me, Britt…not even slowly…," the brunette choked out, weeping unlike Brittany had ever witnessed from Santana, "…he did it over…and over…and over…screaming into my face how much he hated me…how he hated everyone…it felt like it went on forever…like he was literally going to rip me in half."
Brittany couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She tightened her hold on Santana's shattered body and spirit with her long arms and the strength in her knees, squeezing the Latina with all the love she could transfer onto her, sobbing with her.
"I hatehim so much for what he did to me," Santana told Brittany.
"I know you do, honey…I hate him too."
Quinn giggled uncontrollably as Cate nibbled at the back of her neck while she fumbled with trying to stick her house key into the front door.
"Stop, I can't get the door opened," she laughed and playfully batted at the tall brunette behind her.
"Here…," Cate said, holding up her phone so the light of the screen would assist.
Quinn pushed the key into the lock and turned the knob, opening the door so they could both step in. Cate removed her hands from Quinn's waist long enough to push the door closed behind her, locking it.
The young blonde paused at the foot of the stairs, seeing the lamp was on and Brittany and Santana were cuddled on the couch.
"Hey, girls…," Quinn called to them, "…everything okay?"
Brittany looked up to reply, "Yeah…how was your date?"
Quinn pulled Cate by the hand as she walked into the living room to speak to her best friends, responding with a huge grin, "Still ongoing."
"Ohhh…?" Santana smiled back teasing at Quinn, comfortably settled in Brittany's arms on the couch.
"Hi, Cate," Brittany smiled sheepishly.
"Hi…," Cate smirked back at them, stepping up behind Quinn and wrapping her arms around her waist, asking the Latina, "How are you feeling?"
Santana raised her eyebrows toward her former head Cheerio, her mind still blown at this newest development. "I'm feeling somewhat better actually…," the Latina looked up at Brittany, "…I think I've made some real progress tonight."
Brittany smiled back at her girlfriend, feeling as intimately close to her as she ever had before, "…yep…I think we've found the exit to the tunnel."
"That's awesome," Cate encouraged them.
"Cate…thank you," Santana told the older girl.
"For what…?"
"For finding me…for saving me," the younger brunette told her.
"Finding you was pure luck…but I know you're going to end up saving yourself…so no need to thank me, ok?"
Santana smile up at her, feeling a bit more strength returning to her soul, "Okay."
Quinn squeezed Cate's hands that were locked around the front of her waist. "Santana…I owe you an apology," Quinn added, "I love you…I should never have kicked you when you needed me most."
The Latina let out a long sigh, releasing some of her stored hurt over Quinn's verbal assault, as well-intended as Santana knew it was, "It's okay, Q…I love you too…and I know I'm not the easiest person in the world to deal with…even on a good day."
Brittany chuckled, "…that's an understatement."
Santana elbowed her girlfriend in the abdomen, smiling, "…shush."
All of the girls shared in the laugh, releasing any remaining tension between the best friends.
"Ok then…we're going to head up to bed," Quinn announced, turning slightly.
"Yeah, we're about to head upstairs too," Brittany responded, pausing a second, "Um, Q…you have a big leaf in the back of your hair."
"Huh?" Quinn reached up to pat the back of her head.
"Oh, yeah…here, let me get it out," Cate stopped and pulled the green leaf from the blonde strands of Quinn's hair.
"Thank you," Quinn said, taking the leaf from Cate's hand and kissing her lightly on the lips then moving toward the stairs, "Goodnight, ladies…see you in the morning."
Brittany and Santana waved back at the two as they ascended the stairs to the second floor.
As soon as the other girls were out of sight, Brittany looked down at the Latina in her arms and stated, "Oh my god…they totally had sex tonight."
Santana lowered her head onto Brittany's chest again, breathing in her unique scent that brought her so much comfort, responding, "Yep…they so totally did."
Author's note: The song Cate sang to Quinn is Your Song by the great Elton John, but in my head I was hearing something more like an acoustic version of the Ellie Goulding version. Check that one out, because it's really pretty.
I hope this chapter gave you guys some much-desired detail on Santana's health and some details of the rape. It's a fine line I have to walk with giving you all a detailed account vs. just hinting at what happened and letting your minds fill in the gaps. I think our minds crave the details, but we don't truly want to read harsh facts that happened to our favorite characters. Oh well…fingers crossed that I achieved that respectful balance.
Last but not least, the top five names for Brittany's little sister are (in no particular order):
Hannah
Courtney
Macy
Grace
Emily
Apparently, Emily is the name the Glee writers finally chose, but I don't feel bound by it. Please vote for your favorite off this list in a review or private message then stay tuned for the next chapter update to see which name won! Isn't this fun? LOL Ok, I'm a dork. Don't disappoint me though – be sure to vote. Please! :) And thank you all so much for your kind words and encouragement on my story so far. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Every review helps me with motivation and with story development. I appreciate each one of you awesome readers! Kim