If I could have a brief moment of your time: Let me just start by saying that the response to the last chapter blew me away! I never expected people to react so well to this story, but I am truly thankful that you have and I hope you continue to!

To the guests who I cannot privately respond to: Guest1: Thanks! I will purposefully not say yes or no to whether they are dating. You shall find out. Guest2: YES! To a 'juicy' chapter, glad you liked it. Anon: I appreciate that! Hope to hear from you again. Guest3: Thank you, I'll try to keep them that way! *cyber hug back*

Thanks for reading (if you did, if not….well no biggie)

Chapter 16: Reading the Warning Signs

When Brittany was a little girl, and her father was just getting her into the family business, there was one thing that he would always remind his daughter to do. One thing on top of the other two things that he made sure she knew.

It was this: Don't ever let her walls down for anyone. Because the second she did, he told Brittany, she'd miss those warning signs, and then someone would be bound to drive off with her heart. And not in the good way, Garrick Pierce would say.

Brittany wasn't aware enough to understand that her dad was just bitter about Brittany's mother leaving, a fact that Brittany herself wouldn't understand until she was 14 and able to actually connect with everything the woman had done in her life. But she did realize that her dad probably had a good point.

If she put walls up she could avoid all the usual and harsh anguish a person would normally go through when letting someone in. Brittany worked hard at putting those walls up, and making sure that no one matters more to her than the next boost and the fastest race.

Brittany's always been really good at keeping those walls up.

################

"I have visual on the cars. Over." Brittany whispers into her walkie before letting the hand that holds it fall to her side.

She scans the general perimeter of the area she's currently occupying. Not much to look at; she's outside the main fence line of a Honda car dealer, and honestly it's more like a glorified used car lot.

There's a building complete with a large glass faced showroom displaying the newest Honda models behind its secure walls and bulletproof glass. There is a chain link fence that surrounds the perimeter with barbwire at the top, a shop like access area of to the side of the main building, and a giant asphalt lot with a bunch of different style Honda's, and a few mix and match cars. Off to the very side is a group of car hauling semi trucks that currently lack any sort of product on them with which they could hall.

"Pierce, what's your 20?"

Brittany scrunches her face up in a look of confusion at the voice that filters through her walkie. It's Mike's, she recognizes, but she's wondering why he's asking such a silly question.

"Mike we had this discussion a few months ago," Brittany says into her walkie before rolling her eyes at her friend's memory, "You know when I turned 23? And don't forget to say over, over!"

There's a considerable pause.

"Brittany, I'm talking about your location," Mike's voice sounds irritated for only a moment before it shifts to compliant as he states, "Over."

Brittany smirks at the fact that she can make people nervous even over a lil' bitty walkie-talkie.

"I'm at the same damn place that we all agreed we would be. Over."

After another short pause, Mike replies, "Got it boss. Be right there. Over and out."

Brittany is still smugly congratulating herself on the fact that she can instill fear in grown ass men when hands are suddenly covering her eyes.

"Guess who?"

"What the fuck!"

Brittany doesn't guess before she's grabbing the person's hands and preparing to throw them over her shoulder and onto the ground. That is, before she notices that the person is Santana.

"Jesus Brittany, paranoid much?" Santana questions as Brittany pauses mid shoulder toss, her eyebrows raised to her hairline.

"Santana! Shit, you can't do that!"

"Yeah, I got that one now seeing how you were about to go all ninja on me."

Brittany shakes her head and releases a breath she was holding.

"I'm sorry, I'm programmed to react first and ask questions later." She supplies apologetically once she's got her heart tucked back safely into her chest and her pulse isn't through the fucking ceiling.

Santana smiles and takes a step closer, watching as Brittany takes the time to process the outfit she's in. Santana smiles at Brittany's obvious appreciation and bops Brittany on the nose.

"You know it's kinda sexy, you being all martial artist and everything."

Brittany laughs and reaches her hands out to grip at Santana's hips.

"You're kind of all sexy, especially in this little cat burglar outfit." She murmurs with a smirk, tugging on Santana's hips to draw their bodies together.

There's not much more preamble before Brittany is ducking in to kiss those lips she's grown very fond of lately. Santana meets her kiss eagerly, her hands stretching out to grip at the base of Brittany's skull, nails raking over her scalp and drawing a moan from Brittany's mouth. Santana smiles into the kiss and nips at Brittany's bottom lip.

They pull back with a wet smack several moments later, both heavily panting the air between their now swollen lips.

"Fuck you're good with that tongue." Brittany husks against Santana's lips.

"Tell me about it. You're not so bad yourself." She returns and Brittany chuckles and pecks plump lips again.

"Yeah, well that's just the warm up. I'll give you the main show later." She teases and Santana chuckles in return.

"Can't wait."

Brittany spends a moment glancing into those chocolate brown orbs, getting heavily distracted before she clears her throat and dips her head to press a kiss to Santana's jaw line.

"How did you find us anyway?"

Santana smiles, closing her eyes at the feeling of Brittany's lips against her skin.

"I have this clairvoyant ability to just sense when there are attractive car thieves around."

Brittany frowns into Santana's neck, her brow pulling in at the middle, clearly un amused at Santana's explanation as she pulls back a little and looks directly at the woman. Santana giggles at Brittany's reaction and leans in to press her lips into the wrinkled skin of a pale forehead, almost instantaneously causing the furrow to disappear.

"Obviously, Sugar told me where you guys would be."

This turns Brittany's frown into a skeptical look of confusion.

"Sugar? I didn't know you two were friends."

Santana shrugs, "Yeah she's alright once you get past the superficial Richie bitch attitude and politically incorrect use of a pervasive developmental disorder."

Brittany blinks at Santana.

"Umm, well I wouldn't really call her perverted. I mean there was this one time where she walked in on Rory using the can, but in her defense he didn't exactly lock the door so…"

This time it's Santana's turn to blink at Brittany in confusion.

"Wait, what?"

"What?

Before Santana has the chance to ask Brittany what exactly she means, there's a crackle that comes over her walkie.

"Pierce, what's your exact location, over?"

Brittany jumps a little at the noise and is rewarded with a chuckle from Santana who leans back a little to allow Brittany to bring the walkie to her mouth and reply.

"I'm just outside the fence line, over." Brittany says, her eyes never leaving Santana's face. Brittany quirks her brow and smiles when Santana glances at her pink lips and then licks her own plump ones. As she lowers her walkie to her side, she tugs Santana back into her body, one hand fully wrapped around Santana's waist. Brittany leans down and rests her forehead against a tan one and sucks in a deep content breath at the smell that surrounds her senses.

Tonight it's tropical breeze mixed with a hint of that same sweet almond smell she's quickly becoming accustomed to on Santana.

A smile breaks out on her face and she tilts her chin in to softly connect her lips with Santana's.

"You're seriously a distraction you know that right?" Brittany says as her lips part from Santana's. A warm palm accompanied by strong but graceful fingers brush pleasantly across her cheek. Santana's eyes take a moment to regard the strong features of Brittany's face; the fine cut of her jaw, the smile lines that frame her lips and curve her cheekbones, the spatter of freckles that stretch across the bridge of her nose. Santana gets drawn in to pearly white teeth and intriguingly vivid sky blue eyes as they finally lock on her own studying eyes.

"I think I know what you mean."

Brittany smiles and dips in to kiss Santana again, this time drawing her body flush with her own and earning a little whimpered moan from Santana's mouth as their breasts, stomachs, and hips brush together. Brittany smiles further into the kiss and runs her one free hand down the curve of Santana's ass, the one that's currently covered in skintight leather.

"Are you sure this is safe to boost cars in?" She jokes, squeezing the toned flesh. Santana squeaks and jumps a little before she huffs and pulls back to slap Brittany in the arm.

"I think you'll see soon enough that I am more than capable of stealing cars in this outfit."

Brittany's eyebrows rise at the sound of that.

"Ohh I hear something that sounds an awful lot like a chall-eeeenge." She sing songs, a smug grin stretched across her lips and a twinkle shines in her eyes. Santana shakes her head and rolls her eyes a little. Brittany wraps her other arm around the woman, walkie-talkie be damned, and locks her hands together at the small of Santana's back keeping her pressed close to her front. She leans in and waggles her eyebrows at Santana, the grin still on her face.

No reaction.

She nuzzles her nose against Santana's cheek.

"You know you want toooooo."

Still nothing.

Brittany tilts her chin so her lips press to Santana's skin instead of her nose. She drags them across the bridge of a tan nose to the other side of Santana's face and her other cheek, pressing soft butterfly kisses along the way, before she angles her kisses up to the shell of Santana's ear.

"Come on, come onnnnn Saaaan, pleasssssse."

A smile finally cracks across Santana's lips and Brittany smirks jumping back with a triumphant 'Yes!' and a weird variation of the pee dance before she straightens up and smiles that same smug smirk in Santana's direction.

"Knew you'd cave." She says with another wink while she tilts in and presses a quick pop kiss on Santana's cheek as she gives her a pat on the ass before she's spinning around and strutting off in the opposite direction.

Santana's eyes just narrow in thought of reprisal, but she can't help the fluttering feeling that appears in her stomach, and soon enough she's forgetting retaliation in favor of scrambling after Brittany.

##################

Santana catches up to Brittany at another part of the fence some ten yards down the line, and she quickly gathers the company of the rest of Brittany's crew as Mike, Joe and even Rory, all dressed in black, stand next to their boss. They are trading their walkie-talkies in for ear comms when Santana steps near.

"Alright, as soon as Rory disarms the perimeter and exterior security systems and gets us access to the lot, we have a six minute window exactly. That's two minutes a car for four cars. Got it?"

Santana hears Brittany addressing her crew as she steps up to her side. Mike flashes a smile at her when he recognizes her and she kindly smiles back.

"Wait four? I thought I wusn't boosting?" Rory's fear laced voice cuts into the comfortable silence from Brittany's left. She turns to look at him with an un-amused look on her face.

"No Rory, you're not boosting, but we have Santana here that is more than capable of the job." She deadpans and Rory has the sense to look entirely sheepish and nod without saying another word. Brittany turns back to Santana.

"You got a kit?"

"Of course."

Brittany nods and returns her attention to Mike and Joe.

"Okay, so here's the line. There are four Honda Civics in this lot; two of them are 10's and the other two are 11's. Mike and Joe you take the 10's, Santana and I will take the 11's." Brittany explains the plan and everyone listens. When she's done they all turn to Rory and wait for his single.

"Okay, the fence is safe. You can scale it, wait at the top until I say go."

Brittany turns to Santana.

"Still think you can boost faster than me?"

Santana raises and eyebrow at Brittany's cockiness but gives her a sweet smile in return.

"You just concentrate on your own boost Pierce."

"A woman with confidence, I knew I had a good feeling about you." Brittany says with an exaggerated sigh and the motion of drawing her hand to her heart, "Want to make this interesting?"

Santana merely tilts her head in acceptance, her curiosity more than evident.

"Okay if I win then you have to…" She contemplates her options before she settles on the perfect solution, "Sing me a song while dancing all sexy in a red teddy."

Santana's eyes go wide.

"Brittany!" She hushes while momentarily glancing in Mike and Joe's direction, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing them both not paying attention to their boss or her words. She turns back to Brittany who is looking at her with her own raised eyebrow of curiosity.

Santana rolls her eyes.

"Fine, but if I win then you have to wash my car," She starts to say and then a devilish smile pulls at her lips, "In a bikini of my choice."

Brittany grins and nods, extending her hand to Santana.

"Deal because I have just the outfit in mind for you." Brittany says as her eyes rake up Santana's body.

They shake on it before they turn to the fence to scale it. At the top, each 'team' takes a moment to unclip a section of barbed wire so that they can safely clear the fence. When everyone's ready, they turn to get the go ahead from Rory. There's a few clicking of computer keys and a moment where Rory scratches his head before he glances up at Brittany.

"Alright, I'll give the count down." He speaks into the comm that both Brittany and Mike are wearing. Brittany nods, waiting for the count.

"Three, two, one. GO!"

Both Brittany and Santana scramble the rest of the way over the fence and touch the ground moments before Mike and Joe do a few feet away from them. Brittany's eyes, now fierce and focused, glowing an intense cerulean blue, glance in their direction.

"Two minutes each car when Rory gives the go ahead. If you get jammed up, abort and meet back at the shop."

Mike and Joe nod their understanding.

"Let's do this then."

Brittany turns to find Santana waiting patiently for her. She smiles coyly at the woman.

"Alright, let's go win me that bet." She says with extra bravado in her voice. Santana rolls her eyes once more but stretches her hand out in front of her as if to say 'lead the way', following closely after the woman as soon as she does.

################

Santana has successfully infiltrated the cabin of her Honda Civic. Currently, she's sitting in the driver's seat playing at cracking opening the steering column when she hears the not so distant sound of police sirens. A second later Brittany is at the side of her car.

"Shit, Rory says the cops are a minute out. Mike and Joe are ready to go, my car's a bust. The interiors shot, there's no turn around value. What's your estimated time look like?"

Santana glances down at her work noting immediately that it'll take maybe 30 more seconds for her to hotwire this car if she actually gets the chance to try.

"Forty seconds max," She starts to say and they both hear the screeching of tires and glance up to witness a black Honda Civic and a red Honda Civic racing towards the exit gates.

"Pierce, were going to pick up Rory and see if we can get the cops off your tail. Get out when you can. " Mike's voice comes over the comm in Brittany's ear.

"Got it Mike. Thanks. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She replies before she turns to look at Santana. She's about to ask another question when suddenly the sirens and lights are literally coming up right behind them.

"Shit, ditch the boost we've gotta get out of here." Brittany exclaims, grabbing Santana by the arm and yanking her out of the car. They turn to look down the line of cars that surround their intended boost and discover patrol cars now posted at the exit that Mike and Joe just narrowly escaped through and flashlights flickering all down the line and quickly heading in their direction.

"Here, this way."

Brittany's grip on Santana's forehand turns into a grasp of her hand as she carefully leads them away from the approaching cops and into a slightly more secluded section of cars. Out of the cops search but still close enough to hear what's going on. Brittany crouches down to the ground by a car and Santana crouches down with her, noticing and not having a problem with the way Brittany seems to quickly and protectively pull her closer into her own body and keep one arm wrapped firmly around her.

Santana can feel Brittany's breath paint the skin of her neck and she tries to hold her own while straining to hear what the cops are talking about.

"Dammit, they aren't here!" One of the officers yells.

"You don't say Smythe." Brittany recognizes the voice as that of Captain Shuester. "I thought you said they'd be here."

"That's what my CI told me." Officer Smythe replies and Brittany's eyebrows furrow. She turns her head to glance at Santana in question but the other woman looks to be as lost as she does.

"Well it appears that your CI was full of shit. Damn bastard, I know this was Pierce's work. We could have had her."

Brittany doesn't really get the chance to hear anything more of the confusing conversation that is occurring right before her. There's something that seems entirely wrong about the situation, and she's wondering what the hell it all means, but before she can try to figure anything out Santana is turning away from the scene and tugging on Brittany's hand for her to follow.

They approach the fence line at the back of the lot and Santana digs out a pair of her thick wire cutters before glancing at Brittany.

"Keep watch and give us cover?"

Brittany nods and takes a few steps away from Santana to watch out for the cops. It only takes a few minutes before Santana is ushering Brittany back to the fence and they are both escaping through the hole she has made. Once through, Brittany takes Santana's hand again and they slink quietly off into the night, careful to watch their back for any cops that might spot their retreat.

################

They've gotten a good ten minutes away from the lot when Brittany finally slows down and turns to glance at Santana.

"What the hell were they talking about back there? CI's?" She inquires, the grip she holds on a tan hand softening a little as she recognizes that Santana's out of danger, at least for the moment, and she can ease up on the protection.

Santana shrugs in response to Brittany's question, "I don't know what they were talking about but CI usually means confidential or criminal informant."

Brittany looks at her with a look of curious skepticism. Santana ducks her head, suddenly very sheepish.

"I watch a lot of S.V.U." She quietly admits and Brittany smiles, stopping in her tracks and tugging Santana to a stop as well. When Santana turns around to glance at why Brittany has stopped, all she sees is a bright smile and sparkling eyes as Brittany tugs her back into her body and plants her lips on her.

For the first time in a long time, Brittany feels like every nerve in her body is firing and she's finally fully alive.

Their moment doesn't last near as long as they would hope for though, as they both become aware of sirens that appear to be approaching their location, not too far in the distance. Brittany reluctantly pulls back from the kiss and glances around. It takes her a moment to spot what she's looking for but when she does, she grins and turns to look at Santana.

"Come on, I've got a plan." She says with a mischievous smirk and before Santana can even have a chance to be worried about what that smirk could mean Brittany is tugging her off in another direction.

###############

Turns out, Brittany's plan is to steal an immaculately restored and incredible condition 1969 Ford Boss 429 Mustang, in an electric blue color that even Santana can't believe is perfect, because it matches Brittany's eyes to a fucking T.

Of course, the color isn't what has Brittany so excited, as she is so eager to supply to Santana, "There were only like 860 of these babies made. And most of them came in black or red. God Santana, do you know how fucking long I've wanted to find and boost this car?"

Santana, of course, knows the specks of the Boss. She wouldn't be a very good car thief if she didn't, but she had absolutely no idea how much a car like the one sitting pretty in front of them could excite Brittany so much. But she's all too willing to encourage Brittany's joy.

"She's nice Britt." Santana says, her eyes glancing from the 429 engine that's peeking out of the scoop on the hood all the way to the back of the streamline backend. Brittany gives her a look like she's crazy.

"Nice? Santana this car is basically sex on wheels. Not to mention she's got a retail value of about two hundred large."

"Two hundred large?" Santana asks with raised brows, admittedly that was not something she was aware of. Brittany nods and Santana chuckles, "Well why didn't you lead with that?"

Brittany rolls her eyes as she takes a step towards the Boss before glancing over her shoulder.

"You have no sense of real value Santana." She teases and Santana scoffs in mock irritation, her hands immediately going to her hips before a smirk covers her face and she steps closer to Brittany. Wrapping her arms around a toned waist, Santana stretches up on her tiptoes to husk in Brittany's ear.

"I think it could be argued that I have some sense of taste, unless of course you don't consider yourself tasteful."

Brittany chuckles and turns her head so they're looking in each other's eyes.

"I suppose it could be argued that you have some decent taste."

Santana smiles and nods before leaning forward to kiss Brittany's lips.

"Mmmhmmm, very tasty," She says and then her lips brush across Brittany's earlobe, "But that's not my favorite taste from you." She husks and Brittany nearly collapses in Santana's arms, shuddering very noticeably at her words and drawing a laugh from the other woman as she helps her stand back up straight.

Brittany shoots her a warning glare.

"Okay enough from you right now, let's work on boosting this car."

Santana complies, detaching from Brittany and walking around to the other side of the car. A few minutes later, Brittany is turning the ignition of the car and cranking the engine to life in a body-numbing hum.

With another pleased smirk, Brittany glances over to her passenger, "By the way, I think me boosting this baby qualifies as a win in the bet." She says with a wink before she guns the car into motion and they go speeding back to the Pierce 'base'.

#################

Brittany and Santana are laughing when she pulls the car into her shop some fifteen minutes later but the moment is short lived when both the Pierce and the Lopez crew, sans Mike, Joe and Hunter, rush up to the side of the car.

"Holy shit Brittany! We thought that'd you'd been nabbed." Quinn exclaims as Brittany and Santana begin to climb out of the car.

Brittany's brow furrows, "What the hell are you talking about Quinn? Where are Mike and Joe?"

Quinn's face seems to pale even more if possible and she slowly shakes her head, her eyes darting briefly to Puck and then Finn and then Santana.

"They haven't come back yet, they couldn't because the cops just paid us a visit and were asking a lot of questions."

"What kind of questions?"

Quinn swallows, "They were asking where you were and what not. Hunter told them you were out for the evening, but then David overheard one of the scanners talking about a robbery in attempt at the exact same car lot that you guys where at. We don't know how they found out but…." She trails off again, looking once more in the direction of Santana.

Brittany narrows her eyes and steps closer to Quinn.

"But what Quinn?"

"She thinks that Santana ratted out your position, which is pure bullshit!" Puck suddenly calls from behind Brittany.

"It's not bullshit when she's the only one in your crew that knew about Brittany, Mike, Joe and Rory's whereabouts." Quinn calls back. Brittany's head whips back and forth trying to keep up with the chatter before she settles her attention on Rory.

"Is that true Rory?" The boy merely gives a meek nod of her head and Brittany's eyes go wide.

There are suddenly a lot of things that are clicking in Brittany's mind that make more sense now.

Santana's been in her garage more than once; she easily could have been the one to sabotage the Mustang she knew Brittany would race against her. That was the main way she got in on Brittany's good graces, when she 'saved' Brittany.

And Santana knew Jesse before she came here. It was her crew that had all the dirty details on him, and at the warehouse party that Brittany got thrown out of, Santana made contact with Brody, Jesse's right hand man, first. And she seemed to have no trouble being quickly accepted into Jesse's crew.

Then tonight, Santana shows up at the exact spot that Brittany's at, moments before their big boost, only to be held up when boosting her own car and almost getting caught by the cops.

Brittany whirls around on Santana, her eyes burning with a fire that's never been there before. She's never felt so betrayed.

"You did know, every part. You would have been in the perfect position." Brittany says the words come out in utter disbelief. Her brain's saying that 'those are the facts man' but her heart is pinching in a way that says 'no it can't be'. But what else can she think?

"You don't actually believe that." Santana returns, but her voice shakes with a nervousness that tells Brittany she doesn't even believe what she's actually saying. Brittany shakes her head and turns to walk away from Santana, and her crew, heading in the direction of her shop office entrance.

Santana manages to catch up to her.

"Brittany! Dammit, won't you just fucking listen to me." Santana demands and Brittany halts in her tracks and spins around to face her.

"Why should I listen to you? And further more, why should I trust you?" She asks harshly.

"You should trust me because you know me. Brittany, you can't tell me that the other night didn't mean as much to you as it did to me. That wasn't just sex and you know it."

Brittany straightens up at Santana's words, there's a flash of something in her eyes for a moment before it's gone and concealed with an even greater harshness.

"We screwed Santana, that doesn't mean I know anything about you." Brittany declares, venom in her tone. She turns on her heels and exits the shop, leaving Santana staring after her with a look of shock and anguish.

But Brittany Pierce doesn't let anyone past her walls and into her heart. And it was a mistake for her to even try.

So admittedly this chapter went in a little darker direction than I had intended, but don't worry I already know what's going to happen in the next one. Of course, that doesn't exactly mean anything, just that I know. I'm a horrible person, ahhhh. But I'll let you in on a secret...you just have to complete this sentence: You'll never know what it'll lead to next, but fighting usually ends with the best make-up (blank) :) (P.S. it rhymes)

But I still really truly love all of you to death! *Big ole internet group hug to all you awesome people out there*

Just curious, anyone interested in seeing Brittany or Santana (or both of them, together) racing on a bike? Tell me your thoughts :)