Imagining Tigers

Chapter 6:

A.N.: Thank you for all the follows and reviews. A couple things about this chapter: 1. A song Brittany could be hearing at the start might be Bad Company from FFDP. She definitely does not listen to only heavy metal. 2. I apologize beforehand for the legal things, cause i'm no lawyer and remember it's fiction. But the court scene is based on a scene from a local TV show, so i hope it's ok.

10 days later;

I was in my office on Thursday afternoon, the day before the first day of the trial for Brittany's case. I was ready for this and I've been calling Brittany all day to see if she was ready too but she hadn't answered any of my phone calls. I wasn't worried though. She didn't know where her phone was whenever she was with her daughter.

I planned this case very carefully. I made a promise to the blonde that I wouldn't say anything to anyone so I didn't even ask Puck's help. Brittany trusted me with probably the most valuable thing in her life, her daughter, and I wouldn't do anything to even risk breaking my promise to her.

I had to speak with Brittany urgently about tomorrow so I decided to leave early and go find her, since she didn't respond to my calls. I grabbed my things and left the firm, heading towards Brittany's apartment.

I got to her apartment building and buzzed her apartment number downstairs a couple of times but nobody answered. I frowned and checked the time. It was 7 p.m. It was still early so maybe she was at the dance studio.

I hailed a cab and gave the driver the address. On my way there I thought about Brittany's reaction to all of this that was happening. She definitely wasn't happy at the beginning with me representing her, she was irritated all the time. But she calmed down as the days went by. We were fine and she was being open. Not entirely but it was still progress. She was still nervous though, she definitely didn't want to lose her daughter.

I learnt a lot of things about Brittany but I didn't learn the reasons behind some of her actions. And like I promised, I didn't push her to tell me if it wasn't necessary. She was being exposed enough as it was, I didn't want to put any more pressure on her.

I thought the fact that I didn't have a bad reaction to what she told me helped bringing her walls down. It was like she expected me to judge her but I didn't and that brought us closer.

When the cab arrived I threw him some money and got out. I made my way in the dance studio and skipped that annoying receptionist and headed immediately to the office. I knocked on the door and when I heard Brittany saying 'come in' I thanked God that I found her. I opened the door and got in.

I was about to speak but I closed my mouth shut at the sight in front of me. Brittany was sitting on the big couch, her long legs bent and her bare feet resting on the coffee table in front of her. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, her two tattoos that I knew about were on display. Alice was sleeping between the tall blonde's legs, curled on her mother, hugging Brittany's thigh and using it as a pillow as half of her body was on Brittany's stomach. It was a rather uncomfortable position but I figured that Alice had the flexibility Brittany did. Brittany was wearing only on her one ear headphones and had in her left hand a scientific calculator and her right hand was on the armrest of the couch, which she used to write on her papers, probably solving mathematical problems for geniuses.

"Hey." Brittany said, breaking my staring while pulling the earpiece out of her ear. I quickly glanced up to her.

"You're going to wake her up!" I whisper-yelled frowning. The blonde chuckled.

"Don't worry. She sleeps like a woodworker." She said, smiling at her daughter and ran a hand through the little girl's blonde locks.

"A woodworker?" I frowned, still whispering.

"Yeah." Brittany frowned too, like I should know what she was talking about. But the look in her eyes told me that she was playing with me. I smiled at her. Is this woman for real?

"Anyway." I said, my voice back to its normal volume."What are you doing? Are you busy?" I asked and tried to ignore the long legs that were on full display right in front of me.

"I'm doing fluid dynamics." She told me seriously while she grabbed her iPod to shuffle on it. I eyed her carefully.

"Did you just say 'fluid'?" I asked teasingly and she laughed, causing butterflies to erupt in my stomach. If that was the result every time I was acting like a teenage boy around Brittany then so be it.

"Oh my god, Lopez." She said and rolled her eyes but smirked anyway."I'm working! Fluid dynamics is mathematics." She gestured with her pen at her papers. "Actually it's physics but physics is nothing without maths so…" She trailed off, her tongue playing with her piercing. But when I didn't respond she looked at me and saw the teasing that my eyes hid."You know what? Forget about it." She blushed and I laughed out loud.

"You're such a nerd." I said and she chuckled. She was in a relatively good mood and I hated to ruin it for her but I had to. "So…" I trailed off after a few seconds." I've been calling you all day." I stated then.

"Oh." Brittany said and looked around, probably looking for her phone."I'm sorry." She said and winced apologetically. I shrugged.

"It's ok. I just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow." I told her. Brittany nodded and put her things on the couch next to her.

"What's up?" She asked turning serious. I took a sit on a chair opposite her and sighed, turning serious too.

"Ok. So, tomorrow you have a fight to give Brittany." I told her and she frowned."You're going to be exposed, vulnerable, they're going to insult you and they're going to doubt your ability to raise your daughter properly." I added and she looked down at her daughter with a mixture of sadness and anger at the situation, running her hand up and down Alice's back."You're going to get angry and that will not help at all, so whenever you feel like that I want you to remember why you're doing this. You're doing it for your daughter. You are fighting for her. This is your battle to give, ok? I'm just helping you." I told her. I knew she felt helpless, like she couldn't help her daughter but that was far from the truth."And remember that whatever happens I'll be there with you." I finished. She looked at me and nodded. I saw the appreciation in her eyes but she said nothing."And I want you to be sober." I added then. She frowned.

"I'm not an alcoholic." She defended.

"I know you're not, I say this to everyone. Sometimes people drink when they are stressed out and I want you to be sober. Also, I want you to answer to the questions truthfully." I said and looked at her pointedly with arched eyebrows. She nodded and looked down at her daughter again, her tongue playing with her piercing. "And I want you to take off your piercings and hide your tattoos." I finished. She quickly glanced up at me.

"You are kidding right?" She chuckled darkly.

"No." I frowned."Look, I like them, I really do. And I also know that your tattoos mean something to you. But not to the jury. And they don't really care. Let's not give them any more reasons to take your daughter away from you." I told her and she scoffed. I sighed."Are you seriously willing to risk your daughter for two piercings and tattoos, Brittany?" I asked, throwing my last card and smiled satisfied when she shook her head 'no'."I'm glad we're on the same page then." I said teasingly with a smirk.

"You're so annoying." She mumbled playfully and rolled her eyes, causing me to laugh out loud."But he knows that I have them." She frowned then, effectively killing my laughter. I felt a weird feeling, that seemed a lot like jealousy, course through me, because a douchebag knew about Brittany's tattoos and I didn't. But it was irrational so I hid it.

"It's not illegal." I said."Let's just not rub it in their faces, ok?" I asked and she nodded."It's not like they are going to undress you to make sure." I said and looked away, thinking that it wouldn't be such a bad idea. But only if it was me in the room. Brittany cleared her throat and I turned to look at her. The look she sent me let me know that she knew what I was thinking about. I was attracted to her and I thought that she knew it. I blushed but I ignored it. "And one last thing." I said then."I want you to wear something formal." I told her.

"Like you?" She asked and eyed me. I was wearing a tight skirt and a shirt.

"Yes." I simply said, ignoring the flushing on my cheeks that her gaze was causing me and hoped Brittany wouldn't notice. But the smirk she was trying to hide killed my hopes. I stared at her lips a moment longer.

"So, you like my piercings and tattoos?" She asked me and my eyes widen. Can she read minds too? I thought but then I remembered that I told her that I liked them. I mentally scolded myself. I looked up at her and shrugged. I really liked the blonde more than just a friend, it wasn't news to me but she was my client and that'd be wrong. Besides, she never showed any signs what she liked me back. She hummed in response and shifted her daughter further up on her body, effectively showing me her tiger tattoo. It was really impressive, a tiger with blue eyes and a jungle in the background, starting from the middle of her thigh and disappearing under her shorts. I probably stared at it for long because she spoke up. "Tigers are fighters." She told me and gesture towards her left thigh where her tiger tattoo was and I looked up and nodded in understanding. I knew that Brittany was definitely a fighter and I didn't even know her whole story.

"Thanks." I told her and she looked at me questioningly."For telling me." I added and gestured towards her thigh too. I guessed that she didn't tell people about her tattoos often. Or ever. I felt happy because she was trusting me once again. She nodded at me and smiled weakly. She looked down at her daughter and sighed. She traced her finger around the little blonde's face, tucking a strand of hair behind a tiny ear.

"I can't lose her." Brittany whispered.

"Hey." I said softly to get her to look at me. When she did I continued."It's difficult but I promise you I'll do anything that I can so your daughter stays with you." I told her honestly and she nodded appreciatively at me with a weak smile. I couldn't promise that she wouldn't lose her but I promised the next best thing. And I meant it, I'd do anything that I could.

…

The next day;

I was leaning against the railing outside the courthouse waiting for Brittany. I really wished everything would be ok. The blonde would be so devastated if they took her daughter away from her. And it was so unfair too. My thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind me.

"Hey."

I turned and was met with cat-like blue eyes looking back at me. Brittany looked so tired but determined at the same time.

"Hey." I smiled softly at her. I looked at her outfit and saw that she was wearing a black tight knee-length skirt and a light blue shirt, making her eyes look even more beautiful. She had her hair in a high ponytail and her piercings were gone. I've never seen her like this before but I thought that whatever the blonde was to wear, she would still look gorgeous. Without her piercings she was just a different kind of gorgeous, not bad different though. Actually, she looked hot too in these clothes but those were inappropriate thoughts for the situation so I ignored them with difficulty. She looked nervous as well so I decided to ease her tension a little. "You look nice." I teased her with a smirk and eyed her up and down not so discreetly. But I wasn't entirely joking and she knew it because she groaned to hide her blush and tugged at her shirt.

"I can't believe you made me wear these shitty excuses for clothes."She rolled her eyes and I chuckled at her. She soon turned serious again though. She was staring at me and I started feeling uncomfortable. After several awkward seconds she spoke. "Did you mean what you said yesterday?" She asked me. Her face was unreadable and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"I said a lot of things yesterday." I said and side-eyed her, wanting her to explain.

"That this is my battle to give."She said quietly and looked away from me. I thought that Brittany didn't just want to fight for her daughter but she needed to. Like that was what she had been doing forever. If the tiger on her left thigh was any indication. I smiled sympathetically at her.

"Yes. And it'll be hard. You have to not let them bring you down." I told her."You have to stay strong and keep believing that you are the best for your daughter, because they're going to tell you otherwise." I finished. She eyed me for a few moments, studying my face.

"Do you think I'm not good enough for my daughter?" She asked, her face unreadable. I frowned.

"I did not say that." I answered.

"Yeah, but do you believe that?" She insisted.

"Of course not."I sighed. "It's the opposite actually, I saw you interacting with your daughter, I saw it in your eyes that you love her more than anything and that you would do anything for her, no matter what. And that's enough reason for me to believe that you're the best mother a child could ever ask for." I stated confidently, watching her eyes water but she willed the tears away.

"Santana." Brittany sighed breathlessly."This means so much to me." She whispered and looked down biting her bottom lip. My heart flutter inside my chest when she called my name. I guessed she wanted someone else who knew about her to believe that she was worthy of her daughter too, not only herself. And she definitely was. I smiled and ducked my head, trying to find her blue eyes.

"That's good, Britt. Cause I mean it." I said softly. She looked up at me with wide eyes. Only then I realized what I said but I didn't let panic overcome me and I tried to keep my cool.

"You called me Britt." She said, her face once again unreadable. I shrugged innocently.

"Yeah, is it ok?"I asked, my exterior was calm but inside I was panicking. She nodded and smiled weakly at me and I felt relief replace the panic. "And you called me by my first name! Finally!" I exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood. She smiled bigger this time and nodded her head.

"Yeah, I did." She said." Don't let it get into your head though." She smirked at me. Aaaand she's back, I thought happily. I smiled at her and nodded.

"So, where's the kid?" I asked her, wanting to know who was watching Alice when she wasn't with her.

"She's with my sister."She said and I nodded.

"You ready to do this?" I asked and gestured towards the entrance of the courthouse. She turned serious too and nodded.

"Yeah." She said. The determination back in her beautiful blue eyes.

…

"Please proceed to the examination of the first witness, Mr. Anderson." The judge addressed the applicant's attorney.

"Thank you, your honor." Blaine said. I always hated that guy with his thick eyebrows and weird bow ties that worked at the same law firm as Quinn. He stood up and stepped forward."I call the witness Sam Evans." He said. I watched as a blonde guy with the biggest lips I have ever seen in my life stood up and went to the stand. I glanced at Brittany beside me, her face was blank but her shoulders were tensed. "What is your name?" Blaine asked.

"Sam Evans." Trouty mouth said.

"Do you know Brittany Pierce?" Blaine asked. Yes, Brittany's last name is Pierce, I know that now.

"Yes."

"How do you know her?"

"We were neighbors in Chicago, fifteen years ago." Sam said. I noticed that the two of them weren't even making eye contact.

"What was the nature of your relationship with Brittany?" Blaine asked.

"We were in a romantic relationship." Sam said and Brittany scoffed silently but when I turned to look at her she looked away.

"How long did that relationship last?"

"Four years." Sam said.

…

"Tell me about your past relationship with him." I told her and kept taking notes.

"We were neighbors back in Chicago and friends. Then when I was 18 I moved here in New York and a year later he moved too and we got together. We were together for four years and when I was 23 I fell pregnant. When I told him he left me." She said, her voice and face now expressionless, her legs and arms still crossed. I wondered how this guy even had a case if he just left her when she was still pregnant. But I knew something else was going on so I let it go for the time being.

"So, you are 27." I stated after I made the calculation. She arched an eyebrow and nodded.

"You?" She asked me. I smiled at her.

"I can't see how my age is relevant."I said in my lawyer voice. She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"You want me to trust you and you can't even tell me how old you are?" She teased me and I chuckled.

"I'm 28 if you must know." I smirked at her. She smirked back and started playing with her piercing again, effectively drawing my attention to her lips.

…

"Did you have a child from this relationship?" His attorney asked.

"Yes." He said with determination. "The child which I'm here today for." He stated and looked around confidently.

"How old is the child?" Blaine asked.

"Three years old."

"What is the child's name?"

"Alice." Sam said with a smile.

"Did you have this child in a legal marriage?" Blaine asked.

"No." Sam shook his head. "We had her in the relationship I had with Brittany Pierce."

"Did you continue having a relationship with her when the child was born?"

"No."

"And the reason?"

"I got married."

"And now what do you request from the jury?"

"My child's custody." Sam answered like it was obvious.

"And the reason? Because you don't trust the mother?" Blaine asked and I frowned.

"Objection, your honor."I spoke up. "Mr. Anderson is trying to guide the witness." I said. The judge looked at me and nodded.

"Sustained." She said and turned to Blaine."Mr. Anderson, please stop trying to guide the witness." Blaine turned to Sam again.

"Why do you want the child's custody?" He asked again.

"Because the child is mine and because I believe that her mother can't raise her properly." Sam said lamely. I could feel Brittany's anger oozing out of her. I turned and mouthed 'Ali' at her and she nodded looking away.

"How do you know that she can't raise her properly?" Blaine asked.

"She is a prostitute." Sam stated.

…

"I was fourteen." She said like she was challenging me. I wondered where this was going."I really needed the money and one man offered me $200 because I was a virgin. That's how it started."

A.N.: If you're still with me be prepared for a fierce!lawyer!Santana in the next chapter. And if you don't hate me that much and let me know with a review what you think and I might upload sooner.