A/N: Some more beginnings of our two heroes backstory as friends! Stuff should get more action next few chaps but hope you enjoy this chapter ;)
Professor Pierce
About five years prior...
Planet Pratam:
Brittany loved the jungles of Pratam, a planet ten times the size of Earth. It had the largest farming factories in the Southwest Galaxy, which meant lots of money for her if she could tweak some of their engineering in the factories.
Or find some diamonds.
"Diamonds were thought to be extinct," Brittany analyzed the gem in her palm and watched it twinkle in the light. "I can't believe three millimeters of this thing is causing a war…"
She also can't believe it was found near a field of purslane lettuce south of the jungle. That's her least favourite lettuce.
"So it's authentic?" Lieutenant Klaq Rinker asks her, his bright, trendy blue hair getting in her face as he leans over her shoulder to look at it. "Damn," he says in appreciation of the shimmering mineral.
"Remain four and a half feet away from me at all times," Brittany requests him. "Also, find me some tea."
She misses his scowl and continues to analyze the tiny diamond as he steps away.
"Hey! You Lieutenant Rinker?" A familiar voice cut into the serenity of Brittany's examination.
Her neck reacts quickly, snapping around to confirm that the (gorgeous) face her eclectic memory had triggered matches that voice. With a hopeful appraisal that a certain styled shirt was still being worn, she glances down before up.
As impeccable as ever, that Earthly delight.
"Santana?"
Commodore Lopez gives her an exasperated nod and then walks up to the Pratam-based fellow soldier and gives a sloppy salute.
"Lopez, C-7-89, Earth. I bet you need a break from her highness here."
"Thank god," the guy salutes Santana back quickly, "your Earth timing is as terrible as ever."
Brittany ignores the jibe – she had booked first class transport to the planet as soon as she could, it wasn't her fault The Army couldn't keep up or that his family name was Rinker.
When he's gone, Santana seats herself next to Brittany.
"So," she says slowly, "it's you again. And now we're in the jungle."
"Now I won't get tea, so thanks… Why did they send a Commodore let alone try to force a Lieutenant on me? Earth has twenty percent claim to all diamonds I find, you'd think they'd have a General negotiating or something."
"If you find shit at all I'm supposed to call it in." Santana drums her fingers before grudgingly telling Brittany, "Look, I volunteered when I heard you were here. My base is circuiting Pratam jungles right now-"
"Makin-trou still spying on Earth?" She ignores how Santana came because of her (she bushes and tries to re-word that in her head. Arrived for her? No, somehow that was dirtier) and focuses on the fact that Makin-trou terrorists were apparently a legitimate threat.
Santana groans at her, "classified just doesn't work on you, does it? No comment, Pierce. Anyways, the base is a fucking drag. I needs some fresh air and you're better company than literally everyone else I happen to know."
"Thanks."
"By a very, very small degree," Santana confirms.
Brittany turns her eyes away from the diamond and takes in Santana's dress more fully. She's not wearing her uniform as casually as she wore it their previous encounters. Instead it's tight and while still sexy, it's polished and tidy like out of a handbook. Proper doesn't suit Santana at all, Brittany thinks.
"So it's just you observing?" Brittany confirms, finding this tidbit pleases her. Just the two of them? Brittany can't recall ever being excited about spending time with someone, and now she's feeling her heart bet faster.
"Unless you find something because then I have to call in the bosses, yes. It's just us." Santana rolls her eyes and then narrows them in interest on the diamond Brittany is no longer examining (in favour of examining the other shimmering thing in the room). "So, you find that?"
"No," Brittany holds up the diamond for Santana to see, "this is the original piece founded that started this whole scavenger hunt thing... weren't you briefed?"
"Maybe I wasn't listening because I don't give a fuck. So, diamonds, huh?" Santana smirks, "that is some bling."
"Did you know that in ancient Earth these were used for engagement before marriage?
"The fuck is marriage?"
"Old term for what we call Sharing."
"Oooooh."
"But here on Pratam, diamonds were used to forge weapons of execution, so like used for beheading."
"They were also used to decorate teeth," Santana adds in, not sounding smug or anything. She sounds bored, "and for surgery, I think…"
Brittany knew about the surgery, but not the teeth. She'll have to check to make sure but something tells her Santana is right. This flusters her because she rarely (never) knows less than someone else. Also, her heart is racing because Santana is as close as Rinker was minute ago but evidently more breathtaking than the diamond since Brittany's lungs have seized.
Santana doesn't seem to pick up on Brittany's chance of heart attack. However. She just unbuttons her jacket – the way that suits her - and causes Brittany further flustering. "So, where are we diamond hunting first? Damn it's hot in here. Your face is heating up too, you alright there nerd?"
"Fine," Brittany plays it cool and turns her attention back to the diamond. "Nothing I can't handle."
Santana hums and starts looking around the Pratam laboratory, which gives Brittany enough breathing room to finish her notes on the diamond. Other scientists have requested time with it to try and gage where else to find them on the planet. She has an idea of where to start.
"We're going to the jungle."
"Of course we are," Santana follows her lead out of the lab.
Hours later, they've set out on a trail with mineral-goggles provided by the Pratam government which Brittany secretly improved in order to recognize the diamond's unique shimmer and give her an advantage over other trackers.
Pratam scientists as well as a few others around the universe are all walking along the trail somewhere too because they've been spying on her and pretending they came up with it, which makes the race to find diamonds much more exhilarating so she's really not bothered. It was like, a scavenge hunt. Brittany loved it.
"Fucking moon heat," Santana grumbles behind her, "and fucking squitos!" she slaps the tiny Pratam bugs that have the tendency to hover around all the people.
Brittany smiles at her, "for a tough Army chick you're such a Princess."
Santana gives her a glare, "look whose talking Miss I Invent Everything Even My Own Voice Command Assistant! Invent some bug repellent."
This brings a pout to Brittany's face and she lifts the goggles off of her head to mourn, "Kiki broke."
Santana stops swatting at the squitos long enough to lift her goggles too. "Oh…" she sucks in her bottom lip, "sorry to hear that I guess. I know how much you loved the thing, even though it didn't work like you thought it would."
"Yeah," Brittany sighs. She's on the wrong strip to find diamonds, but the other trackers don't need to know that. "Let's continue tomorrow, I'm hungry now."
With no luck that day, they head into the center of Pratam for some food, only to end up enjoying a few famous P-Ales at a chill bar after eating a street vendor's fried something or another.
"Damn this is literally the best wheat based alcohol I have ever tasted," Brittany says on her fourth.
Santana hums in agreement and waves the bartender for another.
"Here ya go gooooood-looking," a handsome man says with his Pratam twang, placing another in front of Santana. "This one is on me."
Brittany raises her eyebrows in amusement and a little jealousy – if the people here knew she was The Brittany Pierce they would be all over her instead of gaping at Santana.
Okay, yeah, Santana was super hot and Brittany sometime fantasized about the skin that lay beneath her Army clothing… like every time they met…
But like, she wasn't all that. Much. Okay, well, she was fit and gorgeous but other than that, nothing special. She was just really captivating and different and…
"I need another drink," Brittany says to herself.
Santana doesn't even relish the attention from the hot exotic man, which further piques Brittany. She pushes the drink back towards him and says, "Beat it."
He frowns but grabs the drink before walking off.
"Got someone at home?" Brittany questions Santana and decides to try and see where her attractions lie, "because that was some fine-"
"Don't even go there," Santana warns her, "I like you but I do not want to hear about that shit."
Brittany relents to part of it, pushing forward with her other curiosity anyways. "No significant other?"
"Nope."
"Are you Class-L?" She asks next, considering Santana turned down a male gender so briskly, it could very well be why.
Her theory is correct because Santana takes a sip of her drink and nods after.
"What's your poison then?" Brittany asks her companion. "That lady tending the bar has nice boobs. I'd buy her a drink."
"I thought geniuses came up with better adjectives," Santana teases her. "And no. Whether I'm Class-L or another it doesn't matter. I don't' date, period."
"What, why? Are you an Asexual-Believer? Can't be, I mean you don't have the surgically removed genitals, do you?"
"Ugh," Santana cringes her swallow of ale down, "no, no, no. I just don't have time for it."
"You signed up on the Sexual Network?" Brittany asks, "I know over fifty percent of members are from Army and fifty percent of that fifty percent is from Uranus… go figure, right? I tried it once but I got some stalkers so I gave it up."
Santana actually laughs out loud, which causes Brittany to smile. Eventually she says, "No, I'm not part of those. Almost everybody I've ever arrested or worked with is on that so… I kind of associate criminals and lame-asses with that. But shit, didn't realize so many Army soldiers needed to fuck... it's probably why that guy thought I'd accept his drink. People need to learn to control themselves, you know? Just because I wear the uniform does not mean I enjoy arresting your ass to a bed post."
"I get that," Brittany says. "I get a lot of dirty fan mail… it's gross."
She accesses her wrist projector and shows one such scan-letter to Santana.
Santana leans forward and squints to read deadpan, "oh Brittany your mind is a delectable maze I yearn to punish me and my - ew," she scrunches her nose, not wanting to read any further than the word she refused to read out loud.
"Yeah, that's Krissy. She's actually one of the least vulgar ones… and very consistent. Her grammar is pretty good so, at least that's nice."
"She a stalker?"
"Technically not anymore since I got a restraining order against her so her methods of stalking have been tampered with, you know?"
Santana laughs and Brittany loves the sound.
She loves even more when Santana tells her, "You're funny."
After a few more rounds, they quote Myths of Pinkies with laughter and the night is perfect until it's time to say goodnight.
She finds the rare diamonds the next day and makes Galactic news headlines, but the best part of her trip was how when she gave Santana a diamond in secret before leaving. Santana was touched, touched enough to suggest they hang out sometime.
Brittany's House, Earth:
"Okay so, when you said you wanted to hang out I thought you meant catch a fucking movie… not a trip to Javener." Santana crosses her arms and watches Brittany run around her living room and grab random gadgets and what appeared to be junk to stuff in her portable hover-bag.
It's been a month since they last saw each other at the Pratam port. They also hadn't spoke, but when this opportunity came up Brittany remembered how much she enjoyed Santana's company on Pratam and called her up. Santana happened to be on break.
"We should totally do that next time, I have the best five-sensor screen you've ever seen. I even invented two bonus sensors so it's actually a seven sensor screen."
"Well, I'm not going to Javener," Santana says.
Brittany pauses her packing and frowns, "why not?"
"Because. You're the weirdo who thinks studying the Javener blue grass is still interesting – everybody in the universe does that when they're eight. No thanks."
"But… but…" Brittany doesn't understand how someone wouldn't find it fun, "the scientist Al-Kirtjeneger found a new evolving species which intrigues me. I'm going, I was even invited by the Javener Emperor. It's a perfect subject for my thesis so I can graduate aggregate."
Santana rolls her eyes, "Javener doesn't have an Emperor. Why the hell did you invite me? Take some of your nerdy flatterer drones…" She smirks evilly and adds, "or Krissy."
Brittany sticks her tongue out at the tease, "I'll be walking the Javener Mid-coast line. Your military training will come in handy and come on – I let you touch my personal scan."
"Wanky," Santana mutters under breath before grumbling, "fine! You're lucky I've got the week off… which I was going to spend on South Beach. Drinking."
Smiling widely, Brittany finishes packing and then announces out loud to her home, "Kiki I'm all set! Did you download Santana?"
"Yes I have successfully downloaded all information. Well to meet you Sant-t-t-t-t-" a screech expands the rest of Santana's name.
"The fuck. Is that." Santana looks around in shock.
Brittany grins and her bag hovers alongside her as she heads for the door.
"My personal assistant Kiki, remember? Her new voice is adapting. She's still undergoing some issues but, like, give it three years and she'll be perfect."
"I am –will be perfect. Thank you boss lady." Kiki screeches again.
Covering her ears, Santana stomps out of the house and says, "let's just fucking go."
Brittany has an express air-cab waiting outside and she tells it to take them to the public port.
"How much is a ticket there anyways?" Santana comments. "And this is just for the day, right?"
"Yep," Brittany taps her wrist projector and shows two tickets to Javener, "I got you covered buddy. University expense."
Santana hesitates, "what slang is that?"
"What?"
"Buddy."
"Martian, I think. For friend."
They get off at the port and head directly to the ship terminals. Brittany seems very excited for this trip, and since the blue grass tended to also smell really good – Santana had hair wash in the scent – she wasn't upset about the plan, really. She had always wanted to be a more active person, it was just hard to do when all her days off were spent playing virtual games and reading scans in her apartment. And drinking.
"We should be there in three hours," Brittany tells her as they go through security.
Santana nods at her and rocks on her feet, frowning at people chatting around the port. She didn't like crowds. Or noise.
"Excuse me," a uniformed security Army Cadet approaches them and stares at Brittany, "you'll have to come with me. Your personal baggage has suspicious instruments."
Brittany pouts but makes to follow him anyways. All the junk she packed was bound to raise an eyebrow.
Santana groans after her, "great, genius. Pack suspicious items."
"The different metals are throwing them off," Brittany defends over her shoulder in defense.
"You can wait outside-" the guy starts saying to Santana.
She cuts him off with a salute, "I'm a Commodore of the Army who witnessed this citizen packing personally, and I'm liable for any illegal possession. Let me in, alright?"
He nods politely, "of course, Commodore. I will just have to verify your identification-"
And at the exact moment, her identification was confirmed as the Head of Security at the port yelled, "Hoi! Commodore Lopez!"
He sauntered over and eyed her with sly eyes while she returned his not-so-friendly greeting, "Why Captain Porcelain, don't you look especially baby-face today."
Snickering, he looks her up and down, "oh honey. What have you gotten yourself into now? Wearing that?"
Overhearing this, Brittany also looks Santana up and down. She still looked… damn her.
"Hi!" Brittany interrupts from the interrogation room doorway where she had been waiting impatiently, "I don't mean to rush you but my port leaves in twenty minutes and it's a very important trip. Can you just search my bag and we go?"
"You-You're Brittany Pierce!" Kurt points at her shock.
The guy that had apprehended her gasps, "no way!"
"Nice to meet you!" Brittany smiles charmingly, "I just want to get to Javener and look at the blue grass, you know?"
"Certainly," Kurt clears his throat and shoulders by Santana rudely, making her stumble. "I'll deal with you later Lopez."
"Actually Sir," the initial security officer says timidly, "Commodore Lopez is traveling with the, um… with Brittany Pierce."
"Wait, what?" Kurt shoots wide eyes to Santana. "You and her?"
"Shut up," Santana bites at him. "Brittany thinks the different metals in her bag are what set off the sensors. How about you deal with it and let us go fast."
He nods and briefly yet still thoroughly searches Brittany's hover bag (albeit shooting Santana curious glances).
"Are you two dating or what?" he asks when he's nearly done. "Because Lopez here never tells me anything about her love life."
"There's nothing to tell," Brittany shoots Santana a smirk while saying this, which causes her to roll her eyes.
Kurt gives Brittany a suspicious look, and she likes that he thinks Santana would date her. That was cool.
"How about you tell me?" He offers Brittany slyly, "she's a friend."
"You sounded irritated with her and appeared hostile though," Brittany says plainly.
"Eh," Kurt closes the bag and gives Brittany a winning smile, "she knows what she did."
Scoffing, Santana grabs Brittany's hand and tugs her out of the room without saying goodbye to her fellow officers.
"What was that about?" Brittany asks.
"I spilt coffee on his new sweater. Gaff silk."
"Oh."