"Brittany? Sweetie, please calm down," Stephanie Pierce, Brittany's mother, urged gently. Her eldest daughter was curled up in bed with a steady stream of tears running down her face. It had been nearly a year since her father passed on and Christmas was only a day away.
"He's not here," the young Brittany whimpered, shaking her head. Her heart pounded inside of her body as she trembled beneath her covers. There was an ache deep in her heart that wouldn't go away, even after months since what happened happened.
"I know, honey, I know," mother Pierce said with a crack in her voice. She felt the same pain her little Brittany did and had no way of knowing how to ease it away.
Isaac Pierce was a man full of love, joy and youthful glee. He had bright, expressive blue eyes, which only his oldest daughter inherited, and a hearty laugh that was incredibly infectious. Brittany and her father were a playful and mischievous pair that spent their days talking and laughing about nonsensical things. They enjoyed every holiday but Christmas was the star of their year. They would countdown the days then the hours and minutes, growing more excited with every passing second. Every Christmas season they'd try something new and festive, which was how Brittany got into dancing; her father enrolled her in ballet for The Nutcracker. He even volunteered to play the piano for free when their pianist quit days before the show.
On the days leading to the holiday, the two would spend the entire day at the mall, working as Santa and elf alongside others. It was Isaac that started the tradition of playing the strange purple piano in the center of the building when Brittany was six because she thought everyone should see how fun music could be.
The day before he died in the accident Brittany had barely finished with a project she started in secret, all in hopes of being more involved with the show. She was planning on a big revealing that friday when they had their family movie night but never got the chance.
It was really cold but the snow wasn't so bad. Isaac and Brittany were singing along to top forty music on their way home from ice skating. Laughter filled their car as they drove, so when the truck slammed into the side of their small vehicle, they were more than blindsided.
Brittany didn't remember much else from that day or the days after that except for the funeral because it was the absolute worst time in her entire life. She was completely inconsolable, crying almost nonstop for hours before, during and after the event. Her uncle Morris had to pry her away from the casket as it was being lowered lest she'd be buried with her father. Her younger sister was terrified of Brittany because she'd never seen her older sister so… broken. Their mother felt a similar fear nestled beside the soul shattering sorrow she was going through.
"I wanted to play the piano with him," Brittany sobbed. Her mother felt tears of her own well in her eyes as she joined the blonde on the bed, taking the trembling girl in her arms. "I- I had a surprise for him, bu-but now I-I can't."
"Shh, baby, it'll be okay." Her mom began to run her fingers through the girl's blonde locks, something that used to immediately put an end to tears. "We don't have to go to the mall today, okay?"
"Yes we do!" Brittany exclaimed, jolting out of her mother's embrace. "D-daddy always took me for the piano." Her teeth still chattered and she had hiccups but her tears had finally stopped. "And may- maybe... he can see his surprise… from heaven."
It was with that new thought firmly in her mind that Brittany was able to get out of her pajamas and get dressed. Why hadn't she remembered what her daddy told her about her Grandpa? How could she ever forget?
'He's an angel now, Bumble B, and he's watching us when we're happy and we need him. Don't be sad, he's in heaven and in here,' he had told her, pointing to her heart. 'And you can bet your bed that he's doing his best to help us make our dreams come true.'
"What was the surprise?" the older woman asked. She hadn't known a single thing to say for months and there her daughter was, determined and without tears in her eyes because of something she thought of herself. Her Brittany was barely twelve and had already started learning how to put herself back together on her own. Somehow, that knowledge warmed and broke Stephanie but she never let it show. How could she when there was more life in her little girl's baby blues than there had been in so long?
"It's not fair if I tell you before daddy," the preteen replied. Before saying anything else, the girl glanced at her closet and the clock on her bed stand. "Daddy always did the show at noon, can we go now?"
"Okay?" Her mother hesitated before nodding and getting up from the bed. "I'll let Lily know and we'll be out of here in fifteen, sound good?"
The only response she got was worth more than every word known to man; it was a small, watery smile.
The short trip to the mall wasn't like the years before for more reasons than one; the main difference being the vacant passenger's seat in the front. Everyone in the car felt his absence but something had changed since the day they lost him. There wasn't such a thick feeling of loss or fear and for once, the radio was playing again.
The parking lot was almost at its maximum capacity when they arrived but luck was on their side as they found a spot near the food court entrance, near the piano. Brittany smiled a little, silently believing it was her daddy supporting her all the way from heaven. She still didn't understand how she could forget something as important as him still being alive in heaven.
She clutched her daddy's old hiking bag close to her chest as she got out of the vehicle, gnawing on her bottom lip as she waited for her sister and mom to exit as well. She was nervous but excited for the first time in what felt like forever.
Taking a deep breath, she took shaky but determined steps toward the entrance, setting her jaw as she walked through the slide open doors. She was immediately greeted by Christmas decorations and soft holiday music, stirring up a lifetime of memories.
"You're actually gonna do it?" Lily asked softly. The youngest Pierce was the only person Brittany ever told about her project as a whole; other people were suspicious but didn't know exactly what she'd been up to. Little Lily was the only person who understood the true extent of Brittany's genius while other simply wrote her off as simple and queer.
"Yup," the older blonde replied, popping the 'p' for emphasis. She wiped her palms on her jeans, trying to shake out her nerves as she continued walking forward. Her heart was pounding in her chest again the closer she drew to the 'dressing room' she and her father used to get ready in. She felt more jittery than her debut in The Nutcracker.
"Do you… need any help?" Lily hesitantly stepped beside her sister, looking up at her with soft brown eyes that resembled her mother's.
"Sure, kiddo, sure." Another smile, slightly bigger this time.
Their mother didn't say anything when they demanded she sit and wait for them near the piano. She was too stunned by the normalcy she felt watching the girls interact with each other again. Warmth flooded her heart and tears welled in her eyes as she waved goodbye to the pair and sat down on one of the many couches situated around her late husband's favorite instrument.
"I've had everything here set up since last Christmas; Marley's mom helped me with that. The only problem I had was with the wiring of my remote keys but well… you know, I fixed that." Brittany cleared her throat, shifting her weight from foot to foot before ploughing on again. "All that's left to do is hook up the receiver and put on a show."
"You know… people might freak out," the youngest Pierce giggled. "It'll be like… like…"
"Like daddy's spirit came to visit and play again," Brittany offered softly. Her sister nodded with a sad smile on her face, recalling all the Christmases she spent watching her sister and dad helping Santa at the mall.
"Let's do this," Lily said. With a nod, they got to work, attaching certain wires and setting up a small table to hold everything up. They finished with only minutes to spare before noon.
Brittany sighed in relief when she saw the image of the piano clearly in the small screen she had with a live video feed and heard the steady stream of noise coming from there as well.
"Lil, maybe we can do a duet? Y'know, instead of just having a Christmas spirit do it?"
"All I can play is Chopsticks," the youngest Pierce deadpanned. "You're the virtuoso."
"I knew you loved that Word of the Day calendar!" Brittany grinned broadly, bobbing her head to a beat only she could hear. "Anyway, c'mon, music is in the heart! Daddy taught us that, so you can do it!"
"Fine, but if I see my friends and they laugh…" she trailed off, shaking her head.
"Think of how happy daddy'll be! And Santa! We'll be on the good list for sure!"
Lily bit her lip, faking a smile as she nodded. Did her older sister really still believe in Santa? With a shrug, she exited the room and made her way back to the piano, running everything she knew about the instrument over and over in her head.
...
"Papi, please? I think I caught something from one of the little brats; can we go home now?" Santana pleaded with her father, walking briskly by his side. He simply looked down at her with his dark eyes simmering with anger.
"You are here on behalf of the hospital. You volunteered and you will not go back on your word. As a Lopez, we never break our promises." His voice was stern and his expression pinched. He'd been in a foul mood for days and it seemed as if the presence of his daughter only worsened his state of mind.
"Yes sir," the Latina whispered. She dejectedly slumped her shoulders, biting her lip to keep from saying what her alter ego yearned to scream out. Snixx was indignant and demanded better treatment but Santana knew she couldn't say a thing.
"Good. If you like… you can take a small break but I expect you back in half an hour with a smile on your face, understood?"
"Understood," she nodded. She immediately left his side to sit down on the closest bench which just happened to be seated in front of the strange piano.
She'd seen it before and had always been interested it because of her secret love for playing. As a young girl, her parents believed she needed to be well rounded so she was enrolled in etiquette classes, piano lessons and ballet.
Glancing around, she smiled when she saw that no one her age was around and ran her fingers over the keys. She closed her eyes, continuing to move her hands, playing one of her favorite Christmas pieces. The music flowed from her body, pouring out in a soothing melody that attracted the attention of the mall's patrons.
...
"Whoa," Brittany breathed. She was sat, staring at her screen waiting for her sister when she spotted the Latina instead.
She recognized her as a classmate in one of her classes, art she believed. She also recognized her from the ballet classes that they had taken together years ago. Santana Lopez, the girl with smooth, caramel skin with a beautiful smile and mysterious, dark eyes.
Brittany watched as the brunette continued to play, her eyes raking over the other girl's face and hands. Santana plays magnificently! the blonde thought giddily. After only another moment, she joined her in playing, startling most of the audience watching as well Santana herself.
...
Even with the mild surprise, Santana didn't let it affect the music. She even had to admit, it was a completion to the piece and whoever or whatever was complimenting her solo did it perfectly. They continued to play in perfect sync, somehow knowing exactly what was next on the venue.
When they finished, there was a considerable crowd gathered around the piano, clapping and offering money. Santana paid them no mind, instantly checking her phone and rushing off when she realized how late she was to her post.
'Shit, shit, shit,' the Latina thought, scolding herself as she imagined the look on her father's face when she'd show up.
As expected, Dr. Lopez was anything but happy as he stood with a tight lipped smile, collecting donation money. He looked up momentarily, his eyes flashing with barely restrained fury as he accepted another donation check. Santana gulped before plastering on her own grin and turning to help him.
Hours of strained silence passed between father and daughter until the mall finally closed down. Dr. Lopez didn't say a word as they began to put away everything that belonged to the hospital. That left Santana in charge of storing away all the chairs and supplies they had borrowed from the mall. With only a minimal amount of struggling, she managed to lug them back to the supply room. By then, the lights had dimmed down and it had gone quiet except for the scuffle of feet and soft gossip of the employees.
Instead of instantly going to her father, she went back to the piano and sat down. What she found was another surprise in the form of a small note card on the keys that was specifically addressed to her.
'Santana, you play amazingly! You're such a unicorn! Beautiful, special and… magical. It was fun playing with you, really. And hey, everyone thought it was awesome too! :) You left really fast and didn't look the same, like a mask? Don't be sad, okay? And don't stop playing, it was too pretty, like your smile.'
The rest of the card consisted of a small sketch of a unicorn, flowers and the sun.
"What the...?" She glanced around, feeling her cheeks warmer than usual with a small smile on her face.
"Santana Lopez?" Brittany called out softly. A part of her understood the flicker of fear she saw in the Latina's eyes as she swiftly stuffed the note card in her pocket, so the blonde decided to not mention she was the one playing the duet with her.
"Who wants to know?" she replied with a bit of venom.
"I'm Brittany." The lanky blonde approached slowly, worrying her lip between her teeth, unsure how to proceed.
"I have you in my class," the Latina responded.
"Yeah… you, uh, I… today was cool."
"Excuse me?" Santana's glare made Brittany nervous but for reasons she couldn't really name.
"I heard you and it was cool… my d-dad, he used to play it every year." Her voice cracked and she couldn't face the brunette as she placed her hand on the piano. "He was going to play this year but…"
Santana remembered hearing about an accident a while back; it was all the stupid place would talk about for a while. School was abuzz with gossip about the man's daughter who survived and was nearly unscathed.
"I didn't mean- I… I'm sorry." The brunette blushed as she struggled with words. She knew Brittany because of her classes throughout their school career and ballet. She knew the girl was wide eyed and super naive. Rumor had it she still believed in Santa Claus for goodness sake.
"It's okay. He's in heaven… or in my heart?" Suddenly it was hard to remember when she felt a heavy gaze on her.
"He's in both," Santana blurted, blushing again. Thank God for the dark skin.
"Oh yeah, that's right!" A smile, brighter than any other in so long, graced Brittany's lips when she raised her eyes.
"Will you be here tomorrow?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Really?" Brittany squealed, feeling warmth flood through her body. Daddy would love to hear us again! "WIll you play? Please?"
"I guess…" The brunette hesitated, thinking about what her friends would say.
"Please?"
"Okay, yeah, I promise."
"Santana!" Dr. Lopez's voice sliced through the space surrounding the two girls.
"Coming!" Santana shouted back, looking apologetically at her classmate.
"It's okay, really."
"Thanks, I… thanks. See you around," the Latina said, waving before jogging to where her dad's voice came from.
Brittany watched her until she wasn't in sight before taking out her phone, dialing her mom's familiar number. "Mom, thanks, today was worth it. Can we come again tomorrow?"
"What took you so long?" Santana's father snapped when they were in their car.
"Everything was heavy."
"I spoke with your mother, you may stay home to cook tomorrow." Santana tried not to notice how much angrier he looked when he spoke about her mom.
"If it's okay… I think I'll come back tomorrow."
"Very well. Why the change of heart?"
"Like you said, Lopez's keep their word."
A/N:This chapter was difficult for various reasons and it took some time because of all my holiday activities. I know I won't be done with this by the rest of the night but I'll be done soon. So, I hope you enjoyed and have an awesome New Year's eve and New Year's day!