AN: Thank you for your patience everyone! Here's one a little quicker. And good news, the next chapter is well on it's way!

Thank you as always to my beta. She's the most wonderful. And her reluctant third party that gives us legal advice. Thank you to her too.

And Happy Birthday to superspencerredcapeandall (on tumblr) thanks for giving me a goal! (I saw your post on my beta's tumblr).

And last. The next few chapters might be a little shorter. Some of them anyway. They are a little easier to write and the alternative is combining chapters to make them longer but then you get less chapters.

I can't confirm or deny the existence of a sequel yet. But I can confirm a few one shots. So if there's anything you'd like to see and it fits we might be able to work it in. Let me know on here or tumblr. Let me know what you think. Your input is so important and motivating.

Having the house to themselves was a blessing. Santana loved her parents, and she loved Quinn, but being able to just be alone with Brittany was amazing. They spent most of Sunday in bed or cuddled together on the couch watching movies. Monday was mostly the same except for a visit from Sam and Mercedes. It was clear that Sam had filled her in on what had happened and that she didn't want to bring it up but was distressed about it. Santana could tell because she brought them about a million different baked goods. And when Mercedes can't handle her feelings, she bakes.

The phone call to Rachel had been tough for Brittany. She knew how much Rachel cared about her and she knew ahead of time that Rachel would offer to come back, or offer for her to come to stay with her and her dads. Rachel offered both. But Brittany really just wanted the quiet comfort that came with laying in bed with Santana alone kissing gently for hours. Nothing made her feel better, mentally or physically, than that. Rachel, of course, understood. Brittany gave her permission to explain the situation to her fathers, which resulted in the largest fruit and chocolate basket she had ever seen delivered to their door the next day.

Maribel called every single day. Several times. And Santana's brothers called too. Diego and Miguel asked a million questions about the way the police had handled it. Wanting to make sure nothing was missed or messed up. Gabe was angry. He wanted to help them but it was obvious he didn't know how or what to do. Luis was logical. He knew Santana the best. He knew what Brittany meant to Santana and that seeing that could have done a lot of harm to Santana. He thought maybe they should go talk to someone. Santana didn't like the idea so he told her at the very least to remember that being careful is always a good thing. But that there aren't people waiting around every corner to attack them. This was an isolated event. He didn't want her to unintentionally shut herself off from other people in her attempt to protect Brittany.

Brittany was glad Luis had said that because she could feel Santana's trepidation when Brittany offered to answer the door when the fruit basket showed up. Or when Brittany asked if they could go for a little walk to stretch their legs. She just didn't know how to say that Santana can't cut them off from the world because some part of her wanted to do that too. But she knew that wasn't a possibility.

It was almost exactly 8:00 in the morning on Tuesday when they got a call from the Police Department saying that they had caught both guys Monday night. They asked if Brittany and Santana could come meet with a lawyer and a victims advocate today. They both agreed and as soon as they get off the phone they called Maribel to ask her what to expect.

After getting dressed and a half attempt at eating breakfast (they were both too nervous) they head to the address that was given to them over the phone. When they get there the first person they meet is a victims advocate, Annie. She looks like she could be someone's grandma. Santana almost makes fun of her sweater vest until it occurs to her just how nice this woman is being to them, and how sad her job must be. The sweater vest isn't so bad anyway. Her only job, she says, is to help them with whatever they need. Explanations of terms, someone to talk to if they get overwhelmed, someone to make sure that nobody is treating them in a way they shouldn't be. Also, she informs them, she gives wonderful hugs should the occasion arise. While the comment almost makes her roll her eyes, she's grateful because it's the first time Brittany's shoulders loosen a little and she's thankful that someone helped put Brittany at ease.

Next they talk to the lawyer, who tells them that this shouldn't be a very difficult case. They have surveillance footage, plus both of their statements, as well as Sam's, and the woman that called the police. If they plead guilty, which in the face of such overwhelming evidence they probably will, they might not even have to testify. They do, however, have to pick them out of a line up. When he says this Santana feels Brittany squeeze her hand harder and tense next to her.

"You just have to point them out Britt. They can't see you. You don't have to talk to them at all." Santana tried to play it down. Tried to make it seem like she herself wasn't completely not ok with seeing their faces again. But she'd do anything to make Brittany more comfortable.

"What if I mess up? What if I can't remember? What if that makes them get away with it and then they don't go to jail?" Brittany starts to cry and Santana stands up to hug her.

"Shhh Britt. That's not going to happen. If you don't remember then you don't remember. They will still have what I say, and the videos. It's going to be fine."

"Ok. When do we have to go?"

"They are ready for you now. But you can only go one at a time."

"Why don't I go first Britt. You go get some hot chocolate with Annie and then by time you get back it will be your turn and then we'll be back together. Ok?" Brittany nods but Santana can see the pout reforming.

"We do have some pretty fancy hot chocolate in the break room honey. Let's go get some. " Brittany nods but stands up and hugs Santana first. Santana tries to pour every ounce of calming energy she can into Brittany before pulling apart, giving her a quick kiss, and allowing Annie to pull her out of the room.

"Let's make this quick please." She says to the lawyer.

Annie was right. The hot chocolate was fancy. There was white chocolate raspberry and mint and dark chocolate. Brittany made herself a white chocolate raspberry and Santana a mint hot chocolate. She and Annie discussed their love of cats, and Annie showed her pictures of her two orange cats. Brittany loved them. She wanted a cat so bad and hoped that maybe someday, even though Santana didn't seem crazy about the idea, they could get one.

By the time they got back to the room the lawyer was outside waiting for them. It really was quick. When Annie asked if she wanted her to go with her she hesitated, not wanting to leave Santana alone. "I think she's ok in there. Maybe just drop off her hot chocolate." Brittany nodded, feeling bad that she was going to leave Santana alone but she really wanted Annie to come with her. So Annie ran in Santana's hot chocolate and came back out assuring her that Santana was fine and playing a game called Angry Birds. Brittany smiled and they walked over to a room with a big window. There were a few more people in the room but the lawyer and Annie just nodded to them so she didn't ask.

"All they can see is a mirror Brittany. We'll have two sets of people walk in, you just tell me the numbers of the men who attacked you. Ok?" Brittany nodded and the first set of guys walked in. While it was scary to see him again Brittany immediately let out a sigh of relief knowing that she recognized him right away.

"Number 4."

"Good. Next." All of those guys shuffled out and the next batch shuffled in. This group contained the man that had actually physically hurt her. She must have made some indication that she was afraid because Annie put her arm around her and Brittany felt a little better. She wished it was Santana. She took a deep breath and looked at all the guys.

"Number 2." She was positive. She'd never forget his face. She felt a little silly that she thought she might even though she's had several nightmares about him. The lawyer released them and led Brittany back to the room where Santana was. As soon as they walked in Santana jumped up and ran over to Brittany looking like she was going to tackle hug her. But she stopped herself. Remembering how sore Brittany was and took her into her arms gently.

"Are you ok?" Brittany mumbles something that sounds like a yeah into her neck and after a few more seconds they pull apart. The lawyer thanks them and tells them he'll be in contact and rushes out of the room.

"The last thing I want to warn you girls about is that because it was in the police report that they made homophobic comments towards you, I can't promise that it won't come up in court. And even if it doesn't, we can't control what the media says. So if I were you, and you haven't mentioned your relationship to anyone, now might be a good time for your own sake." Brittany is shifting in her seat and Santana knows that this is the most that she's done since she was hurt and she wants to get her home.

"Thank you. Can we go now?" Annie gestures toward the door and Santana gets up, waiting for Brittany before taking her hand and heading to the car. They were both quiet for a few minutes before Brittany broke the silence.

"I want to tell them."

"What?"

"I want to tell my parents." Santana took a minute to process that thought. She shook her head.

"I don't know Britt. You don't really need to. The live far enough away that I don't think they're going to hear about this." Brittany understood Santana's hesitation. But this was something she had been thinking about for some time.

"No. I want to tell them. I don't want to feel like I'm hiding the most important part of my life. I'm not afraid. What's the worst that can happen? I don't even live with them anymore. As long as I'm not embarrassing them they don't really care what I do." The car was quiet for a few seconds. The hand tightening around her own was one of the only indications that Santana wasn't just ignoring her. Besides the fact that Santana would never just ignore her.

"Fine. But if you're going, I'm coming too. I won't move on this Britt. I love you. And I don't want this to come off as me telling you want to do or me trying to control you, but you are the most important part of my life too and I am under no circumstances ok with you being alone with those people. If they touch you again-"

"Ok. That's ok. We can do it together. I don't want to go without you either."

When they get home Brittany goes to lay down on the couch and Santana calls her mother, as promised, to let her know how things went. Her mother said that everything sounded like it had been pretty straight forward. She put her mom on speaker phone and set down with Brittany. "The only other thing is that Brittany wants to tell her parents about us."

"Oh. That makes me nervous." Maribel answers.

"Me too."

"At worst they get mad. Or they'll probably just continue to ignore me." Brittany tries to reason with them both. She really wants to do this. Then no more Tommy or hiding or anything.

"Well if you're decided then you're decided. I'm buying you both plane tickets right now." Brittany wants to tell her that she doesn't have to do that. That it's too much. "Don't argue with me Brittany, you can't sit in a car for that long with your injuries and I don't want Santana driving that long with her shoulder. You can fly out early in the morning. And then fly back on Thursday. I will pick you guys up. I'll put enough money in your account for a rental car and a hotel Santana. Do not let her go into that house alone. You hear me?" Brittany can't help but be touched by the tone of concern in Maribel's voice.

"Way ahead of you Mami."

"If things get even the least out of hand-"

"Call the police. " Santana interrupts. "I know."

"I know you know. It's my job to worry about both of you. Call me and let me know how everything goes ok?"

"Promise. And we'll text you when we land and everything." Brittany interjects.

After a few more warnings and a quick check to make sure they are eating the food she made, (of course they are) they get off the phone. Santana packs them a bag to share and they go to bed early so they aren't a mess for their early flight in the morning.

The next morning Brittany was more quiet than usual. Which was understandable. She's both in pain and about to do something that Santana is very nervous about, so she can't even begin to understand how Brittany feels. They get to the airport early enough and get to their terminal. "Do you want or need anything B?"

"Maybe hot tea? Can we get that anywhere near here?"

"I saw a Starbucks. Stay here with the bags ok?" Brittany nodded and Santana leaned forward to kiss Brittany and then walked off. When Santana returned, she had made Brittany's tea exactly the way she likes it without having to ask. This makes Brittany feel just a little bit better.

Planes make Brittany nervous but Santana distracts her with stupid jokes until the plane actually starts to move really fast and then Brittany just closes her eyes and squeezes Santana's hand. "Ok. We're up Britt." Santana whispers into Brittany's ear. Brittany eases her eyes open and leans her head against Santana's.

It's a short flight so before they know it they are descending. Brittany is too nervous to remember to be scared. Maybe she should have called? Her mother is rarely home. She figures telling her will be enough. Her mom will tell her dad and honestly she can't remember the last time her and her father had a meaningful conversation so starting now is probably not the best idea.

They get to the car rental desk and pick up the car her mother had rented for them in advance. After they get their bag in the car and get in Santana looks at Brittany who is looking down at her knees. "You ready Britt? We can check in first if you aren't." Brittany shakes her head.

"No. Let's go. It's going to be ok." Santana hopes so. But she would be lying if she said she was optimistic. She plugs Brittany's address into her phone and starts to follow the GPS. She didn't need the destination time on the GPS to know how close they were, she could tell by Brittany's body language. She hated that she couldn't take this stress away from her. When she got close she recognized the house and pulled over out front.

"Are you ready?"

"I don't even know if anybody is home."

"Do you have a key?"

"No. I know the garage code." Santana nodded. When Brittany made no move to get out of the car Santana got out first and met her over on the passenger side. She opens the door and crouches in front of Brittany's seat.

"We can turn around. It's not too late. Or we can go inside and do this. I am right next to you either way baby. Ok?" Brittany turns and Santana helps her out of the car. She wraps her arms around her before she even shuts the car door. Brittany hugs back tight, trying to draw all the comfort she could from the familiar feel of Santana's arms.

"Ok. I'm ready." Brittany nods once resolutely as if to reaffirm this to herself, and starts walking towards the house. She punches in the garage code and pulls Santana in behind her before hitting the button to shut it. "They're both home." She mumbles. She pushes the door into the house open and steps in. Santana follows closely behind. Every protective instinct she has ever had is on high alert right now.

"Jen?!" She hears her Mom call from the other room.

"N-no Mom. It's me." Brittany calls back. Santana doesn't know if Brittany's mother could have possibly even heard her. Brittany's eyes are downcast and she's wringing her hands. Santana hates seeing her like this. She wants to comfort Brittany, do anything to make this a little easier. But before she can, a stern looking woman comes around the corner.

"Hello Brittany. And you are?"

"Santana." She thinks that maybe at one point Mrs. Pierce might have looked like Brittany. But you can see the amount of work she's had done which has nearly changed her appearance completely.

"Nice to meet you." She responded coldly. But Santana didn't care how she treated her, what she cared about was how defeated Brittany looked. Is this what her mother turned her into every time she was around her? "Why are you here Brittany? This is quite out of the way for you I think." Who the hell is this woman?

"Is Dad here?"

"You know he is. You saw his car in the garage. Take a minute and think before you speak Brittany." Brittany felt Santana tense beside her.

"I need to talk to both of you." Brittany pushed forward. They needed to get this done. With any luck her mother will be frustrated that she wasted both of their time and then she and Santana can leave. Her mother pulled her cell phone out and called her father to come down. Her mother turned and walked towards the dining room. Brittany assumed that meant she was supposed to follow. They sat down and a few minutes of dead silence later her dad came in.

"Brittany."

"Dad. This is Santana." He nodded once in her direction. Santana hadn't expected this. She had at least expected fake nice. But they weren't even that. The way they treated Brittany even in her presence made her so angry. She can't even imagine how they would be if she weren't here. Would they have even agreed to talk to her at all?

"Well. Go on then. We don't have all day Brittany. You really should have called." Brittany bowed her head again. Santana was furious. She wanted to grab Brittany and make out with her, flip them off, and leave. They didn't deserve to know. They didn't deserve to know her at all.

"Sorry." Brittany took a deep breath. "As you heard I was in the hospital."

"Oh. Right. You're ok then obviously. Go on." Brittany looked like she wanted to tell her father that she wasn't ok. That it was hard for her to sleep because she was sore and how deep breathing was difficult and coughing was the most painful thing ever. At least that's what Santana knew and wanted to tell them.

"Uh. Yeah. Well. We were, we got attacked. By some guys." Santana watched them as Brittany spoke looking for any reaction. Barely anything at all. They looked almost bored. "We have to go to court. And they said that it might get media attention. And I w-wanted you to hear it from me. Santana and I are dating. We're together." Dead silence.

They both turn toward Santana and she watches Brittany's mother's face turn from passive annoyance to furious. She opens her mouth to say something and Santana was prepared for anything to come out of that mouth. But before she could say anything Brittany cut her off.

"No. You do not get to say mean things to her. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. You can say whatever you want to me, but not her." Santana turned to Brittany with a mixture of pride and sorrow that she would stand up to them but not for herself.

Brittany tried not to fold under her mother's glare. "Get out. Now. We will no longer be financially supporting you. Leave Brittany. We never want to speak to you again." Brittany gets up and Santana follows. They walk towards the door and Brittany can hear her parents following them.

Brittany stops and Santana watches her turn back around, presumably to say something to her mother. She watches as Mrs. Pierce pulls her hand back as if to hit Brittany but as soon as she swung Santana stuck her hand out and cut the woman's arm. She had been prepared for this. "You don't touch her ever again. Ever." She forcefully pushes her arm away, using all her restraint to not just punch the woman. She takes Brittany's hand and pulls her outside and doesn't stop until she's got Brittany safely in the car with the doors locked.

"Brittany are you ok?" She takes one of Brittany's hands in hers and pulls so that Brittany is slightly facing her. "Baby are you ok?"

"Can we go to the hotel?" Santana continues to watch her for a few minutes before nodding and turning back and starting the car. She heads toward the hotel listening to the saddest little sniffles as Brittany tries to hold back her tears. It breaks her heart and she finds herself trying desperately not to cry as well.

When they pull into the hotel Santana gets out of the car and grabs their bag before helping Brittany out of the car. When they get into the lobby she asks Brittany to text her mami to let her know that they are at the hotel and that she will call later. Brittany nods and sits down near the elevator with the bag while Santana checks in.

When Santana comes back over Brittany looks worse. "Britt?"

"They already had my cell phone turned off." She wipes a tear away that managed to escape. "That was quick."

"Ok. We'll just use mine. It's ok." She doesn't know how to take all of this hurt away from Brittany and it's killing her. She texts her mother before leading Brittany up to their room.

It wasn't that late but Brittany just wanted to go to bed. Or she just wanted to be as close to Santana as she could be. "Do you want to talk about this Britt?" She wanted to not think.

"Not right now. Can we just please lay down? Please?"

"Of course baby. We'll order room service later for dinner and watch a movie or something ok?" Brittany nods gratefully. She strips down to her underwear and climbs into bed waiting for Santana to do the same. Santana thought pajamas might be involved, but she should have known better. This is how Brittany feels most comfortable. So Santana does the same, and climbs in. Brittany instantly crawls into her arms.

"I love you so much Brittany. Everything is going to be ok." She can feel that Brittany is crying by the way her chest is convulsing. She runs her fingers over every bit of skin she can reach trying to calm her down. Eventually it works and Brittany falls into a light sleep.

Santana wants to call her mom to tell her what happened. She knows that her mother is probably literally sitting there with her phone in hand waiting to hear from them and hates to leave her waiting and worrying. But she knows it will physically hurt to not have Brittany in her arms right now. The conversation might be better had with Brittany asleep though, not having to listen to it all over again. She sighs and is thankful that Brittany isn't actually laying on her like she usually is and maneuvers herself gently out of bed. She waits for a second making sure Brittany isn't going to wake up before grabbing her phone and making her way to the bathroom. She hops up on the sink and dials her mother's number.

She explains what happened and what Brittany's parents had said. That they tried to hit Brittany right in front of her and it wasn't long before tears were running down her cheeks. "I don't understand Mami."

"You aren't meant to Mija. Good people shouldn't be able to understand the actions of bad people. I'm glad you both got out of there ok." And then there was a brief pause. "Poor Brittany."

"Yeah." Another period of silence passes. Santana just watches Brittany's back rise and fall. She's on her stomach now and the blankets have slipped down enough that Santana can see some of the bruising on her side. "I hate that I can't fix it. I just don't want her to hurt anymore."

"Shhh Mija." Maribel tries to calm her.

"I'm ok. I just love her. And I hate this."

"That's part of loving someone Santana. Their pain is your pain."

Maribel can't fathom this. She knew it was bad but Santana confirming it makes it worse. "Oh. They already shut her phone off."

"Make sure you put her numbers in your phone for now. Ok? Go take a nap with her. We'll figure all of this out in time Santana. Don't worry. But let Brittany get to a place where she can talk about it before we bombard her with solutions. Ok?"

"Ok. I think tonight we're just going to watch a movie. Maybe do room service."

"Sounds good Mija. Call if you need me. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Tell Brittany I love her as well."

"I will." After they hang up Santana sends Quinn a text letting her know the gist of what happened. She sits there watching Brittany for a few more moments before Brittany starts to shift. She rolls on her side and not finding Santana, calls her name. "I'm right here baby."

"Come back." Santana can hear the pout in her voice and walks back over to the bed. She climbs in and presses her front to Brittany's and wraps her arms around her. Brittany cuddles in closer and lets out a sigh. "Much better."

"Agreed. Do you want to go back to sleep? Or are you hungry?"

"Hungry." Santana reaches behind her to the bedside table with the hotel book on it and grabs it. "What do you want?" She opens the book behind Brittany's back and reads it over her shoulder. "Liver and onions?"

"Gross San." But Santana can hear the smile in her voice and that makes her happy. "Guess what I want."

"Strawberry pancakes with whipped cream and hash browns and bacon?" Brittany looks up at her.

"That wasn't what I wanted. But that's what I want now." Santana laughs and picks out something for herself before calling it down to the front desk. She gets up and throws Brittany a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top before putting on her own cut off sweats and a tank top.

They pretend to argue about a movie except Santana knows all along that Brittany gets what Brittany wants (which is really no different than normal) before they settle on a comedy that Santana hadn't heard of.

The rest of the night was spent watching movies, and then comedy central. Some people drank to make themselves feel better. Or any other host of destructive behaviors. When Brittany was very sad, she wanted to find a way to laugh Santana learned.

The next morning they get up and are just getting ready to go when Maribel calls to confirm their flight arrival time. They have to drive back from the airport anyway because they drove to it, but she's going to meet them at their apartment instead of out somewhere because she's bringing Quinn back with her.

On the plane Brittany can't stop herself from thinking about what all of this means. "I'm scared I won't be able to stay in school."

"What?"

"I'm scared that my parents cutting me off means I won't be able to stay in school. My parents paid for my dorm room. My scholarship pays my tuition but not anything else. My dorm, food, books, all of that stuff."

"We'll figure something out. There have to be more scholarships you can apply for. Maybe we can schedule a meeting with someone at financial aid to talk to them about it." Brittany puts her head on Santana's shoulder.

"The phone thing sucks. But school scares me the most. And health insurance. Teaching dance class might help but it can't cover all of those things." Santana knows that. But they will figure it out. Her mom and dad will help them figure it out.

"We will talk all of this through with my mom and dad. They might have better ideas than we have." Brittany nods and takes Santana's hands in hers and plays with her fingers.

After they land and drive home they get inside and Maribel is on them hugging them both to her at once and kissing their cheeks. "My babies." She sniffs and Santana can tell there are tears she's trying to hold back. She claps her hands. "Ok. Let's go. Food. Shopping." They go to head out of the door when Quinn stops Santana.

"Can I borrow your car?" Santana nods handing her the keys before she walks out. After they get into the car and decide on where they are going for lunch Santana asks why Quinn wasn't coming with them.

"I asked. She said she couldn't come." Santana nodded. She reached up and tickled the back of Brittany's arm to get her attention.

"Feeling ok Britt? Need a pain pill or anything? I brought one with me just in case." Brittany smiled back at Santana. She wondered if she would ever get used to how amazing Santana was to her.

"I'm ok right now. Maybe after lunch. Thank you though." When they got to the restaurant they discussed where they wanted to go next. Santana was concerned about keeping Brittany out too late and Brittany had to agree. Moving just felt like it took so much extra energy right now. So they decided a few stores in the area as well as grocery shopping and then home. Maribel had a meeting in the morning anyway so staying late wouldn't be the best idea.

Lunch was amazing. Maribel, as per usual, forced dessert upon them. Not that she had to do much forcing. Brittany always found it hard to say no to dessert. Then they went Macy's. Everything Brittany looked at for more than a few seconds, Maribel would grab as soon as she looked away. Brittany caught on eventually and was going to protest but Maribel cut her off quickly. "Brittany I am a grown woman and I will decide how I want to spend my money." How do you even respond to that.

So after some new jeans, sweaters, and makeup for both girls, they head back to the car. "Where to next girls? Shoes right?" Santana confirms and they head to DSW. Brittany had never been in a DSW and was slightly overwhelmed. But they were running a sale, buy three pairs get two free. "So I need a new pair of shoes for work but that's all. Your father will kill me if I bring home more shoes. So you get two pairs each." Santana takes Brittany's hand and leads her off to their size.

"San this is too much."

"Why Britt? She loves you and wants to make sure you have the things you need. That's what a parent does babe. My mom is sometimes a little over zealous about it. But it makes her happy. Makes her feel like she's helping."

"She always helps. I love your mom."

"Good. I don't think you're going to be able to get rid of her any time soon." Brittany leaned down to kiss Santana before they start looking for shoes. Once she let go and just let herself have fun she found it difficult to narrow it down to only two pairs. But she did and before long they were on their way to their last stop at the grocery store. Brittany mostly just followed along holding Santana's hand. She was starting to get sore and tired. "Brittany you're not putting anything in the cart honey. What kind of cereal do you want?"

"Oh I have a meal plan."

"You spend more time at the apartment than you do at your dorm room so you should have food you like to eat there too." Brittany liked the food at the apartment. But mostly because she wasn't picky and Santana bought things she liked anyway. But she reached out and picked out a box of Lucky Charms because they were her favorite and put it in the cart.

"Thank you Maribel." As they went through the store Brittany threw a few more things in the cart with some gentle prodding. They are soon on their way home, and Brittany couldn't be more excited. She was definitely ready for some pain medicine and cuddling. They got home and carried up some of the stuff they had bought. Maribel insisted they go up and she would bring in the rest. As soon as they opened the door Brittany barely had time to register that Rachel was in the apartment before she was running at her. She braced herself for the impact that did not come.

"Rachel! Calm the fuck down." Santana yelled as she held Rachel back with one arm. She let her go and took a deep breath. "You can't just go running at her like that. It makes me nervous." Santana felt Brittany's hand warm and steady at the small of her back and instantly felt a little better. She couldn't help but be over protective.

"I'm sorry Santana." Rachel said meekly. "Are you two ok? Can I hug you now?" Brittany hugged Rachel who was very careful. Rachel then hugged Santana quickly before taking a step back.

"I thought you weren't coming back until Sunday."

"I wasn't. But then when you told me what had happened to you I felt terrible for not being here. My fathers and I were discussing the possibility of me coming back on Saturday and they would be able to stay the night and have lunch with all of us. But then Quinn called and told me what happened with your parents and, after again discussing it with my fathers, they agreed to let me come back via bus today."

"So missing Quinn had nothing to do with it? Hm?" Brittany teased.

"No! I mean. A little. But really Brittany it was you. Also. I know your phone got shut off. And my fathers thought that was unacceptable. So, here." Rachel pulled an iPhone out of her pocket, just like her old one only it looked to be a slightly newer model. "You're on our family plan now. None of us want you to be without a phone. They already put their phone numbers in the phone and have told me to inform you that since they now pay for it, you are obligated to talk to them and play Words With Friends with them."

Brittany didn't know what to say. She looked around but Santana was talking to her mother in hushed words in the kitchen. It sounded like Spanish but it was a little too quiet for her to hear. She looked back at Rachel who was still beaming at her. "Rachel I don't know what to say. I don't know how to even accept this."

"You kind of have to. They signed a two year contract. Also they would like free tickets to all of your future dance shows as compensation." Brittany nodded her head.

"Of course. Absolutely. Can we sit down on the couch? I'm sorry. This is a lot. And I already hurt." She caught Santana's eye who signaled that she would be there in a second. Brittany, Quinn, and Rachel discussed how things had gone pretty well at the court house and how they were just waiting for more information before anything else happened. She called Rachel's dad on her new phone to thank them and get a run down on this Words With Friends business. A few minutes later Maribel and Santana walked back into the living room.

"Groceries are put away girls. Let me know if you need anything. Finish those leftovers before they go bad." She hugged Quinn and Rachel before she came over to Brittany and hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

"You call me ok? For anything. Antonio too. We'll be very upset with you if we find out you needed something and didn't call. Ok?" Brittany nodded and hugged Maribel once more for good measure. She undeniably felt more loved by her than she ever had her own mother.

Santana hugged her mother again, whispering another thank you in her ear before walking her to the door. "Not that I'm not glad to see you guys. But I think I need a nap. Britt?" Brittany nodded gratefully. Nap or not, she really needed to lay down her ribs were killing her. Santana reached out a hand and helped her up, they went back towards her room with promises of doing group dinner in a few hours.

They got back into the bedroom, Brittany grateful to finally be alone. Santana was standing at her desk looking down at nothing in particular. "Santana?"

"Hm?"

"Are you ok?" Santana turned and looked at her, she looked nervous Brittany thought. Then she slowly walked toward her and leaned up and kissed her gently. The kiss deepened if only slightly before Santana pulled away.

"Move in with me?" Brittany hadn't processed what Santana had just said, as she was currently more focused on kissing her again. But when it did sink in…

"Wait what?" Santana took Brittany's hands into hers.

"I want you to move in with me. When school ends. Your dorm room is paid until then, but after that, move in with me?"

"That's. Santana I-"

"I know it's a big commitment. But I want to spend forever with you so I mean comparatively it's kind of a small commitment. Mami and Papi will pay for two thirds of the apartment. They had already discussed this as an option last night. My mom was just waiting to see if I would ask her. And Quinn is completely on board."

"It's too much Santana. I can't ever repay them that." Brittany feels overwhelmed by the generosity. It's hard to take, all at once. All of the wonderful things that these wonderful people have done for her already. And then this?

"They put four boys through college practically at once. Me by myself must feel like nothing to them. They already pay half the rent so two thirds isn't that much more, they'll barely notice. And this is all selfishly motivated because really all I want is to wake up with you every morning. I need you here with me. And I don't want to discuss any options that involve you not coming back to this school. Or doing something that makes you unhappy. This will make us both happy." Brittany knows she's right. This is absolutely the best scenario. And though accepting the help of others is difficult, she thinks she might just need to learn to get used to it for now.

"Ok."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I want to move in with you." Santana's face splits into the biggest smile Brittany has ever seen on her before she's back on her toes kissing Brittany senseless. She pulls back slightly and rests their foreheads together. "I can't be without you either Santana. I love you so much." Santana kisses her once more before pulling away and tugging Brittany towards the bed.

"Celebratory nap?"

"Best idea ever." Exactly twenty four hours ago Brittany had very real reason to believe that unless she figured something out she might have to leave school. She might have to go somewhere else causing her to be any number of hours away from Santana just so she could find a way to make a living. She might not be able to find a way to make a living dancing. But now. Today. She had new clothes, new shoes, lucky charms, and the knowledge that this was her home. Santana. And this apartment. And these people. But mostly Santana.