Authors Note: Hola Amigos! Merry almost Christmas! :)
Hope you guys like it! I thought I'd give you guys an update, consider it an early Christmas present if I don't update again before Christmas!
I think I'll start to phase up the story a bit, but I also want to take my time to build le romance between our heroines ;) we're gonna have more Brittana scenes after this!
The italics are flashbacks which I have been using heavily lately... sorry about that, lemme know if you guys like it or not.
P.S. *whispers* It's actually my birthday guys, and it would be cool to you know... have some reviews? I just kinda feel like I'm only talking to myself which is cool, but talking to you guys would be much better! :L Suggestions, criticisms, advice? whatever it is I appreciate it!
Thank you! And Merry Snixxmass! ;)
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. I DO NOT OWN GLEE OR THE HUNGER GAMES
"We're not welcomed here."
"Hmm..? Don't be silly what made you think that?
She walked past Haymitch but her shoulders collided against Santana's as the Latina's unmoving body occupied most of the exit. It made her stagger backwards and look back to the relentless marching blonde. The offender carried on her way and did not even turn to notice Santana, disappearing into the night.
"Haymitch!" the middle aged man cried. His declaration snapping his wife out of her stupor, her head flew up and her eyes shifted between Haymitch and Santana who were awkwardly stood by their doorstep. Her cheeks flushed as she realizes that their visitors must have heard the quarrel between her husband and daughter.
"Benny, Anna. I hope we haven't intruded in anything?" garbled Haymitch, his voice wavering ineptly. Santana rolled her eyes and had to suppress the urge to slap Haymitch behind his head.
"Why, no of course you haven't! Come in! Come in!" Benny chuckled, he was slightly taller than Haymitch and had stark blue eyes. He had broad shoulders and was well built, the result from working hard in the ranch Santana supposed. Wrinkles were evident on his face especially when he smiled; stubbles grew across his jaw and cheeks. His hair was a shade of brown with a few strands of blond. He shook Haymitch's hand and pulled him into a manly hug. His wife Anna glided next to him and hastily placed her comforting hands upon Haymitch's face and placed a firm kiss on her friend's forehead then takes him in for a hug. Anna pulls away shortly and takes her place next to her husband, Benny then lovingly places his hand around her waist to hold her closer.
"It's been a long time, how are you Haymitch?" said Benny, his eyes then meets the young Latina's and smiles so welcomingly at her "...And this must be Santana." He states more than question.
"Why you are very pretty, love!" Anna approaches Santana and places her hands reassuringly on her crossed arm. The older woman looked into Santana's eyes and all the young brunette could see were hazel looking at her with such delight. She looked at Santana as though she had known since she was an infant; she then takes her in for an unexpected hug which caught the young girl by surprise. It takes Santana a few seconds to register the arms around her and another second for her to awkwardly return the hug with a soft pat on the older woman's back. All the while Haymitch and Benny were watching them, Haymitch rolled his eyes on Santana and Benny released a quiet laugh. "Welcome to our humble abode Santana which is now as much as yours." The man of the house declared.
"Thank you..." she uttered softly. Anna chortles at Santana's shy response and releases her from her embrace.
Haymitch and Santana were taken into the kitchen and were fed generously. The course of the conversation went into the direction of the young blonde earlier; she learned that the girl was in fact Anna and Benny's eldest daughter "Yes that girl was Brittany, our eldest daughter. She's 17 and will be turning 18 in February. Sorry about her, she's not always like that..." Anna assured Santana and Haymitch.
"She has grown up a lot." Commented Haymitch.
"Yes she has, I mean the last time you saw her was when she was six and you were drunk. She knows who you are Haymitch."
"Yes, "The Great Victor of the Second Quarter Quell"" mocked Haymitch.
Benny sniggers "She knows you're the Grinch who stole Christmas."
For the rest of the evening Santana sat quietly just watching the adults converse and reminisce about their past. She found her lips curling up a bit at some of the tales particularly about the one where Haymitch apparently came over for the winter to celebrate "Christmas". During his visit, Haymitch performed an impromptu strip tease using the skinny pine tree in the Pierces living room. Unfortunately for young Brittany, she witnessed the awfully hairy and mind scaring event. Benny reasoned that this might be the reason for Brittany's not so friendly attitude towards Haymitch. Santana was curious when she realized that Benny, Haymitch and her father knew one another. Santana wouldn't ask Haymitch anymore about their history though... She assumed he wouldn't say anything to her anyway. Listening to the conversations around her, she learned that the couple had three children: Brittany, Andre and Christa; and that Brittany doesn't attend an education institution but helps around the house and the ranch instead. Santana excused herself to bed just after midnight, she was bunking in with Brittany and Christa but since they had just arrived; Anna decided that it would be good for her and Haymitch to have the room between them. So, Benny and Andre were to sleep in one room and Anna, Christa and Brittany all in another. However, Haymitch insisted on staying on the floor of the Pierce's living room, giving Santana some space.
Anna walked Santana to her daughters room, she gave her a candle to use for the night and bid her good evening and left the room. Santana hadn't been alone with her thoughts for nearly 12 hours and she enjoyed the peace that washed over her. She wasn't used to living with many people, granted she moved about between various victor houses but she always had her own space. It's not that she she's snobby, she just enjoys her solitude; the thought of having to share a room with Haymitch or anyone else for that matter made her feel suffocated and uncomfortable. It was going to be a long month... Well actually, Haymitch hadn't told her how long they were staying with the Pierce for. She guesses that it will only be until the Capitol has cooled off, when they're not so hot on their trail. Whatever, she reckons it wouldn't be any longer than three months anyway. After all, she doesn't have long until the moment she's been preparing herself for comes.
"They look at us funny... But, not just us two... But the Pierces as well..." contemplated Santana as she sat on the wonky wooden fence on the ranch, as she looked out into the open field.
It was her fifth day in District 10; she had met Christa and Andre the day after her arrival. Andre was quiet. He always seemed lost in his own thoughts, always staring in mid air. He was wary of the people around him and didn't like to be in a room where he knew no one. He rarely said anything but when he did, it will either be a string of offensive words or a cry for his mother, father or Brittany. He was handsome; he too had broad shoulders like his father but his body was not young enough to be called neither child nor rough to be called a man, he was only 14 years old. His hair was cut short, just past his ear and it was dirty blond. He mostly took after his father's features, sharing the same wide but warm eyes- though his was vacant. Although, the colour of his iris wasn't blue or hazel, it was a forested brown which possessed an odd empty quality that you could get lost in. Lose yourself to nothingness. During the times where Santana would be around Andre he was unmoving and watchful of her, timid yet inquisitive like a fawn witnessing the unravelling of spring for the first time. There are cases where Santana would catch Andre with Christa playing where he would be laughing without a care in the world; so, so happy.
The youngest member of the Pierce on the other hand is the personification of a little ball of sunshine. Christa's smile illuminated District 10. Her laugh was contagious and was very friendly. The young child didn't posses not one bad bone in her. It's a shame she has to live in such a mean and hopeless town, Santana hope that no being would ever taint such a pure heart. She is the perfect mix of Anna and Benny; eyes like her mother but in the colour of the sea, and a smile as happy as her father's but her lips as gentle as her mothers. She was at the tender age of 8, the age in which mothers hoped their child will forever be. The first time Christa met Santana she asked her to kneel down, the young brunette conceded, upon doing so she was pulled into a tight hug by the little blonde. The young child then whispered a kind "Hello" to the Latina's ear. From that very moment, the little girl had claimed a spot in the Latinas heart; but Santana would never admit that. The Pierce family seemed to have an uncanny talent to always surprise her, she wasn't sure whether she liked that or not.
On the fifth day, Brittany returned to her house. Her movement were not as blunt but nonetheless cold and unwelcoming. Brittany made her way through the side gate to their garden, it made a loud creak. She was welcomed home by her little sister who came sprinting at her like a fireball "Britty! You're home! Where were you?! Mummy said you were at Rachel's! Why did you go without me?! You promised you'd take me with you last time! I want to see Doug!" Brittany smiled at her mini-me's ramblings as she hugged her legs. The older blonde pressed a kiss on top of her head. "Oh and have you met Tana?" She heard her sister mumble into her side. Brittany stiffened and her smile faltered bit, she glanced up to see the subject of conversation standing beside her father. Santana and Benny were stood in the shade of a broad acacia tree hiding from the blistering heat, the one she used to climb as a child. Benny had his arm stretched out pointing at their old chicken coop, the one that had been abandoned for a while due to the recent fox infestation. Brittany imagines that her father is telling the Latina about his plan to rebuild the dilapidated hutch.
Their garden wasn't exactly a ranch but an enormous plot of land shared between their neighbours. Their means of living relied on their farm animals. Each family were given a cow, six hens, three roosters, two pigs and a lamb. They are all part of the mass productions of resources for the capitol. Their job is to take care of these animals to produce meat, milk, eggs and wool. 70% of the earnings goes to the District market where they compile all of the earnings from each family. They are then charged with 10% tax for "land maintenance" and the remaining 15% is for the family who are yet to pay for water, electricity and food. Placements in educational institutes are no charity either; parents who wish for their child to attend must pay even higher tax for the "children's welfare". Even then, there is no guarantee that the family is getting their money's worth for the teachers themselves weren't really educated either. As long as they knew the history of Panem and what went on during the "Dark Days" how the Capitol obliterated District 13, they were teachers. That's one of the reasons why Brittany decided to drop out of school at the age of 13 despite her parents protest and contrary to her previous peers and the whole districts belief; she is not thick.
Brittany's aware that her family wasn't doing very great financially lately. As mentioned, there was a fox infestation which consumed nearly all of their chickens; they were left with a chick and a cockerel. Benny had appealed for re-stock but the supplies won't be arriving until next spring. Autumn is just coming now. They were struggling but fortunately her mother's talented in gardening and so even though their supper often alternated between tomato soup and nettle soup, at least they never went to bed hungry and she's grateful for that.
"Isn't she so pretty? She's nice too! She even plays with me sometimes. But she's really quiet. She helps around the house though!-"
"Well I sure hope so, we can't afford to feed a free loader" Brittany thought as she inspects the Latina.
"I don't have to help Mum dry the dishes because she does it for me!" Christa bragged, who was squinting up to her sister.
Santana had been helping Benny around the ranch, moving piles of debris stocked up on the old coop. She also learned that the Pierce owned a small stable within the edges of the woods, which kept three horses inside: a dominant white thorough bred stallion named Lady which belonged to Brittany, a mustang called Milo and a Friesian horse which Haymitch bought on impulse who was still yet to be named. Haymitch was amused when he first spotted the horse in the market.
His ears were flat and his teeth were clenched and the nostrils were flared. It stood up on its hind legs, ran and jumped causing its passenger to fall. The horses coat was sleek black all over, its eyes restless, irritated and furious. Haymitch insisted on riding the horse bareback, he was no exception to the previous tamers who tried to calm it down. He fell on the ground and the horse almost trampled him over but he rolled away just in time, its hooves just missed his head. In response, Santana called him an idiot.
"I like him. I think I'll name him Santana." Haymitch declared. The previous owner were hesitant on selling the horse and planned on killing the animal for its meat if it wasn't going to be tamed. However, Haymitch bought the horse with gold in his hand; enough to buy a dozen of stallion. Santana scoffed "And you said not to draw any attention...".
It had been part of Santana's chores to care for the horses. Normally the job belonged to Brittany but since the blonde boycotted the house for a few days, Santana had taken over the job. She was listening intently to Benny's plans and directions until she felt intense eyes burning the back of her head. Santana turned to see Brittany stood beside her sister. Her eyes were bitingly cold, lips were as thin as a line, jaws were set in a manner of tolerance and the rest of her physique was still. Brittany maintained eye contact with Santana for a moment and closed and opened her eyes in a blasé attitude.
"Santana, what do you think? Santana?" Benny asked, he turned towards the Latina and followed her line of vision and found her eldest daughter stood a few meters away.
"Oh Brittany, you're home. Come over here." He beckoned.
Brittany walked towards them still aloof to Santana. She was dressed in a faded pink shirt with ¾ length jeans folded at the bottom. It belonged to Rachel Berry, it wasn't actually meant to be worn like that but Rachel was a bit short."Hey dad." Brittany offered lamely.
"Brittany, this is Santana. I think you may have met before..." Benny introduced the two adolescent to one another.
Santana offered a polite smile, the discomfort was crawling up Santana's back with its eight legs. "Hi." Said Brittany curtly, not returning the smile upon the other girls face.
Then there was silence.
The type of silence that makes you want to shrink out of existence. The kind which gives you the urge to simultaneously cringe and face palm your face repeatedly, on a brick wall.
Benny shoots a disapproving glare to her daughter for being inhospitable. He wipes his dusty hands on old washed out jeans and puts his hand lightly on Santana's back to guide her and her daughters back in the house. "So, Santana will be staying with us for a while with Haymitch." Benny said in attempt to fill the awkward silence. Christa tailed behind them oblivious to the tension as she played with the house cat Lord Tubbington, she raised him up in the sky; throwing his flabby body lightly up in the air and whirling him around as she made whooshing noise pretending he was a plane.
"Yea I know. " Brittany answered shortly. She just wanted to get back inside to play with Christa or maybe go to the stables to take Lady out for a ride. Brittany didn't like being around Santana or Haymitch. She knows she's being unfair to the Latina but she also knows that her family cannot afford the luxury to take in more mouths to feed. "Good. Well you will be living underneath the same roof so you better start making acquaintances." Benny's voice was growing stern as his frustration towards Brittany being difficult started to show. They abruptly stopped a couple of yards away from the back door of the house. Santana remained silent, her eyes set on the rocks, dust and pebbles on the ground as she think of ways how to persuade Haymitch to leave district 10 or at least the disaster before her.
"Take Santana with you and Christa and look for your mother. She wants to take the meat to the market for the collection for this month's harvest. I want you to show Santana around. She needs to learn how we do things around here since she will be living with us for as long as she wants to." Benny pronounced slowly with authority, silencing Brittany's protest. The young blonde stalked inside the house just to get away from her father and to push down the mounting irritation within her. Christa ran after her yelling her name as she clumsily held Lord Tubbington against her tiny frame. Their father scratches his head in exasperation and gives Santana an apologetic smile. "Sorry Santana, she's not usually like this; I promise. Don't worry, she'll come around soon." Benny reassures. Santana returns his smile, her lips curving up ever so slightly and she follows the two blondes inside the house.
The door is an entrance to the kitchen where the brunette found the three blondes stood around fixing the harvest for the market. "Santana, we're just about ready to go to the market. Are you ready?" stated Anna as she fixed the bags made of cloth which held the bottles of milk.
"Yea, I'm ready what can I do?" replied Santana. She was given another bag to carry which contained various meats: steak, pork loin, dried meat; all from the ranch. They made their way to their destination, Anna walking in front leading the young to the market, Brittany walking in tow with her hands tightly clasped on to Christa's who was trying to get away. Santana was behind them, not too far at the rear but not very close either. "Britty let go, I wanna walk with Tana!" the youngest blonde exclaimed. Brittany ignored her sister's protest and pulled her firmly along.
As the Pierces and Santana came closer to the market, Santana noticed tension in the air. Anna who Santana only ever saw smile was supporting a stoic facial expression, Brittany stood with her back a little more rigid than before and Christa walked closer to her sister as though she was hiding from someone. She felt pairs of scrutinizing eyes studying their every movement, their looks filled with what seemed to be repulsion. Some hid it well than others; nonetheless Santana knew they were being judged. Upon reaching a stall for vegetables and fruits Santana noticed how the overweight stall keeper who had her money belt hanging loosely around her waist hid her fresh goods and refrained from restocking her nearly empty stalls. Anna was left to pick from the leftovers. At one point, Christa found a voluptuous apple, it was red and it swelled all around. The little girl carried it between her two hands and showed it to Brittany; on her journey back to her sister who was stood parallel from her; a whiny nasal whistle of a voice boomed across the shop "I hope you're paying for that!" she stated rudely. This scared Christa and cause Brittany to shoot daggers towards the old hag. Santana was taken a back from the turn of events remained silent as she observed, Brittany took the apple from Christa's small hands and placed it back on the shelves with the rest of the fruit. Santana then decided to stray a bit from the Pierce to look at the other stalls in the market, a small counter selling various beads and dyes, another stall selling all sorts of fabrics and many more stands with several goods. As she walked through them she could hear snippets of conversations.
"If you ask me, that kid is a waste of space."
"It's stupid really; they could afford to educate their eldest daughter if it wasn't for that one."
"Educate? That girl wasn't pulled out of education, she was rejected. I heard she could hardly execute a solution for addition, let alone subtraction in arithmetic."
Santana, didn't know Brittany very well and from everything the girl had shown to her she had the right to take a dislike for the blonde. However, she couldn't help but be offended from the whispers and feel a strange inclination to defend the blonde. Santana figured it was due to the hospitality her parents had shown to her. The Latina wanted to intrude and oppose to the gossips but what could she say? Could she really disapprove to these women who arguably knew the Pierce family longer than she had? What did she know? Santana sighed dismally as she kept her silence, the internal struggle making her head spin. She walked away like a dog with its tail between its legs. She promised Haymitch she wouldn't draw attention on her, besides why does she care? Santana shook the confusing thoughts out of her head and neglected their protest to break her silence, and come into the blondes rescue. "Whatever it is, it is none of my business. For all I know they could be right... I don't care." But she does. Maybe a lot more she would ever admit to herself.
Half an hour had passed and Anna sent Christa to call for Santana so they could return home. The little blonde found Santana to deliver her mother's message, she found the Latina standing back in the vegetable and fruit stalls. The brunette told Christa to tell her mother to start walking ahead and that she'll rejoin them soon. Christa followed her directions and ran back to her mother while Santana attended to the cause of her delay from returning to the Pierces. She went to get some fruits, the delicious glossy red apples to be precise.