As always thanks for your support it means a lot to me! :)

I found this chapter really hard to write as it is a crucial moment in my eyes and I didn't want to mess it up.

Disclaimer: I don't own any character of this story.

Santana was sleeping soundly. She had problems sleeping since the incident but on today she woke up felt good. She got up stretched and just as she was about to leave the room she noticed that Brittany wasn't anywhere to be seen. She ran around the room looked in the closet and under the bed. Nothing. She ran into the bathroom, into the living room and still nothing. She went to the the kitchen and saw Brittany sitting there sipping a glass of orange juice. Santana was frozen in place. She didn't dare to move or speak. She was mesmerized by the sole image of her girlfriend siting in the kitchen and sipping a glass of juice.

Santana decided to walk into the kitchen and make her presence known. Eyes not moving from her girlfriend form. Brittany noticed eyes on her and looked up. Their eyes locked onto each other.

Santana had pictured this moment since the incident but nothing could have prepared her for this. Brittany was clearly looking at her, and you could see that this time there was indeed a mind under this blonde locks but the normal tender gaze was gone. Brittany seemed cold and withdrawn. There was barely any emotion showing on her face.

"You're back?" it was all Santana managed to say.

"Yeah I am. At least I think I am." the blonde whispered while her face turned into a grimace that was supposed to be a smile.

Santana reached out and gently cupped Brittany's cheek. "You are Britt. You are home." brown eyes came closer as she leaned down and placed her lips on Brittany's with as much tenderness as she could.

But suddenly Brittany pushed her away. The Latina almost hit the floor and the blonde was on her feet and breathing hard. "Don't please just don't." Brittany ran out of the room and locked herself inside the bathroom.

Brittany just couldn't comprehend what was happening to her. The last she remembered she was still in her head. In the dance studio with a gun pointed at he head right in front of the door. But then she remembered. She pushed open the door and ran as fast as she could with his last words ringing in her ear, "You can't run from me. I'll always be there and I have what you fear and need the most! You are mine!"

She had escaped she was sure of it, because the moment she woke up she was in her apartment in Santana's arms. She knew instantly that something was terribly wrong.

She felt Santana's warmth but at the same time nothing. Normally her body burned everywhere the Latina touched her beggin' for more but this time there was just nothingness. She didn't feel her heart swell at Santana's cute sleeping face and what scared her the most was that she couldn't even feel the love she knew she had for the girl beside her.

The encounter in the kitchen was terrifying. Santana was perfect in every sense of the word but she just couldn't bare being with her when she really wasn't and couldn't.

She didn't know what to do. She couldn't just got out here and tell the love of her life that she just didn't feel anything. That she couldn't feel their love anymore that she was there but felt drained and dead. The only thing she could begin to feel was deep, anguish. It nagged at her fragile soul. But she couldn't even express this.

She knew that once she came back she would have to deal with all of the pain. The scenes inside her head were just the beginning. Never though had she imagined to feel this numb and empty.

Santana sat down on the other side of the bathroom door, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"Britt I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you out of the blue I mean you're just back and I assault you like this. Please come out of there. I'm sorry. Please talk to me."

Brittany didn't answer. She spent two hours sitting in front of the bathroom door trying to get Brittany out of there. Santana soon realized that she needed help and called the only person who she thought could make a difference.

"Okay bitch I'm still not really happy with last time. I mean you totally let me down on the phone and I don't want to put up with your shit again. So you better have a good explanation for the call or I'm gonna..." Quinn was interrupted by Santana with four words that immediately ended the phone call "Britt needs you NOW."

Quinn didn't question anything Santana said. She grapped her coat and made her way out of the office. It took her 20 minutes to get to the apartment. She had a spare key so she let herself in. She found Santana leaning against the bathroom door.

"What happened San?" Quinn eyed her friend suspiciously.

"She's awake Quinn. I wanted to talk to her and I kissed 'cause I really missed her but she freaked out and said that I shouldn't do this and ran inside here. I have been apologizing for two hours now but she won't come out Quinn. I mean I don't know what's going on." Santana was rambling and clearly upset. But more than that concerned and hurt.

"San go sit down in the living room I'll try to talk to her." Santana wanted to argue but Quinn gave her a look that said not to argue with her. Pointless to say that she was desperate for Britt to come out of the bathroom so she just obliged. She went straight to the living room couch lay down on the couch with her knees hugging her chest.

Quinn lightly tapped the door before she began to speak "B, it's Quinn. Come on please open up. If you are still mad at San I banned her to the living room. She won't bug you." There came no response. She tapped the door again this time a little stronger. "Please B, let me in. I won't try to kiss you I promise. " She tried to joke and lighten the mood because she had no idea in which state she would find Brittany. She waited there at the door, begging the blonde to let her in. She quietly waited for a response.

The door opened slowly as if careful that no one can slip in. Quinn knew this was her only chance so she stood up moved passed the door and watched Brittany close it again fast. The lock clicked and Quinn tensed. She had no idea what she was going to do, since it was always Santana who could calm Brittany down and get her to open up.

Quinn was still waiting for Brittany to turn around so she could look her in the eyes while they talked. And as the blonde turned around Quinn observed her face. She saw tears running down her cheeks and her puffy eyes. Her lips were dry and trembling slightly. She must have been crying for a while now. What she couldn't see was a crack in the mask that was supposed to be her face. You couldn't see any emotion.

Brittany was desperate. She needed someone but couldn't talk to Santana. She felt trapped in her own body and when she finally turned around and looked into Quinn's eyes she knew she could trust her. There was a mix of hurt and fear. But what struck the most was compassion and love. She knew that Quinn and her were like sisters, which made her break down.

"Quinn, I can't feel anything. I'm awake I now that but when I look at Santana I just feel nothing. I can't smile cause I don't feel happy. I cried my eyes out today but that was just a body reaction I don't really feel sad. I just get all those thoughts that it's bad and stuff but i don't really feel it. It's like theres this big void in my body that once was stuffed with feelings and now they are gone. Lost or buried under all the pain I carry but can't express. How am I supposed to tell San that I can't feel my love for her or that I feel absolutely nothing when she kisses me? I can't break her heart like that. I can't do that to her. I mean how long have I been out of it? I know she took care of me." Her brain fumed as Quinn tried to process all the pieces of information that Brittany has just thrown her way. She was afraid to say something wrong and upset Brittany even more.

"Britt it's been six months since, you know, the incident. And yes San has been taking care of you. The doctor said you suffered from catatonic immobility. It's a disorder that can kind of disable the body. Well in your case it was more of a temporary mind lock. You sometimes moved around and stuff but you were never really here. But now that you're here again you can start to really get better."

"Six months? How did she manage to pay the bills? I mean this is a shared apartment.? What about her classes?" She knew she couldn't let this discussion go on she had to talk to Brittany about her treatment options or rather get her to talk to Santana. She had been the one in contact with Dr. Mo. Not to mention that it was really scary to see the once so bubbly blonde talking without changing her facial expression.

"Britt don't worry too much about that right now. As you can see she has been able to handle everything and you're both still here. What you should concentrate on now is to get better. And you have to talk to Santana. She has talked with this doctor that has been in charge of you since the accident and I know that they seem to have at least a bit of a plan on how to help you." the response was immediate.

"I don't need a doctor. I just need time to figure this thing out. I mean I'm awake." Quinn started to get agitated.

"Britt yes you are awake but you have to see that this is where the real work starts. I don't know what you went through in your head but this time you have to really work out this shit that has kept you there. And although I'm no doctor I can tell you that you're numbness is definitely connected to what happened at that dance studio and I know you know it too." At the mention of the dance studio Brittany pulled her hands over her ears. " I'm out of there Quinn. I don't have to go back", she was shouting now "he has no power over me here. I'm free now." With that she sank down on the ground. She hugged her knees tightly and started muttering "I'm free. He's gone" over and over again.

Alarmed over the shouting she heard Santana banging against the door. Quinn opened the door for her and she felt Santana hold onto her for support. Seeing Brittany crying on the bathroom floor made her heart break all over again. Especially knowing that she couldn't comfort her this time. She didn't dare go near her again without the blondes permission afraid that she would be scared and reject her again.

"What happened Quinn?" The blonde just shook her head. "We talked and when I mentioned the shooting she began shouting and then ended like this on the floor" She was prepared for Santana shouting at her even hitting her for making Brittany miserable and remember but the Latina did neither of these things. Instead she gave the blonde a quick hug and said "The real fight has just begun."

A/N: Please review :)