Millions of thoughts were running through Brittany's mind. Rachel was already out of Waimea, and heading back towards Honoka'a. She had no idea what was going on and if Quinn hadn't told Rachel about their conversation from the other day then what could all of this be about? She didn't want to push Rachel's buttons, but she needed to know what was going on.

"Rach?"

"Yeah?" Rachel was still focused on the road, like she was deep in thought. "Fuck sorry. So okay. Here."

Rachel handed Brittany her phone. The text thread between her and Santana was open to the last message she had sent her.

"I tried calling her but her phone went straight to voicemail. All I know now is that we have to go and get her."

"He's going to Afghanistan? And I'm guessing that the last time he got deployed was Freshman year right?"

"Yup. She's had some time to adjust to his Army life and what not but deployments are so much different." Rachel was turning into her road now, she drove past hers and parked in Santana's driveway. Her truck wasn't home, which meant that she was probably long gone. "She didn't text you or anything did she?"

Brittany looked down at her phone, realizing that her girlfriend hadn't messaged her for a few hours. It was too weird, she didn't wanna bother her when she knew that Santana was spending time with her dad. "I haven't gotten anything from her for a couple hours actually." She tried calling her girlfriends phone but to no success. Straight to voicemail as well.

"Okay. Now let's think about this. The only place I can think of her going is Laupahoehoe. Maybe we should start there?" Rachel threw her car in reverse and began to back out of Santana's driveway.

"That sounds like a plan."

And with that, the girls headed that way.

Santana had been on the road for a good hour now, blasting her music and just driving. She always expected her dad to get deployed again. After the first tour, Santana felt pretty confident about her dad going again but she never thought about how she was going to initially react to the news. Hearing it, having her dad tell her that he was being sent back felt like a dream. And to add salt to the wound, he was going to be missing graduation. That was probably what hurt the most. Of course, she understood that it wasn't his fault. He didn't choose to go, he didn't get to choose when he leaves and she understood that too. But it just sucked, you know?

She took a sip of her water bottle, as she drove through Kona town. Back when Santana was younger, her dad would always take her on fishing trips around the island. One of her favorite places to fish with him was this little secret spot they had a little past Kona. She never knew the name of it, and it didn't matter really. It had such a special place in her heart that it didn't even need a name for her to remember where it is.

As always, she pulled over and turned into the road. No one was parked, which was normal. She reversed up to the water and parked. Her fishing stuff was already in the back of her truck and she had stopped in Waimea to pick up some bait. The sun had just set, so Santana turned her lantern on and put a little glow stick on her line so she'd know where it was.

As she cast her line, she thought back on the last time she was down at the spot with her dad.

4 Years Ago

"It's such a nice day today!" Santana was hopping out of her dads truck. They hadn't been fishing in such a long time. Her dad was home for a few weeks. He had just graduated from basic training and AIT and was given some time off before he was sent to his first duty station. "It just sucks that you have to leave again soon."

Keola was unusually quiet, but he tried his best to play off whatever was on his mind. He climbed onto the side of the truck to grab their fishing gear. "You got the bait, baby?"

"Yeah I got it dad. Was there anything else we needed from the Foodland bag?" He shook his head. She shut the door and climbed onto the opposite side of the truck to grab the tackle box. "How come mom didn't wanna come this time around?"

"She wanted us to spend some quality time together. That's all. Plus she was on call and didn't wanna come out this way only to be called back. Know what I mean?"

Santana knew exactly what he meant. With her working nights and what not she hardly saw her mom. She felt lonely at home, and it sucked. But she knew that her mom needed to work so she was slowly getting used to it.

Once they got their lines in the water, they both popped open their chairs and sat down. Keola swallowed, knowing that this was gonna be the moment. He had been home for a week and a half now but had no idea how he was going to tell his only daughter that a little after he gets to Kentucky, he was being deployed.

"Baby.." Santana turned to him.

"Yeah dad?" He looked into her eyes. She was so young. So full of innocence. She didn't deserve this. She deserved to have her dad home with her. Santana had just started her Freshman year. The news of her dad being sent overseas was something that was possibly overwhelming. At such a young age and the Army being something so new, he didn't know how she was going to take it. But he had to tell her. He had kept it from her long enough. "Dad?"

"Okay. So, I know how much you like coming down here. I brought you today cause I needed to tell you something. Just listen before you tell me anything okay?" Santana nodded. "Well.. I found out that when I get to Kentucky, I'll be prepping to deploy. My unit, we're being sent to Afghanistan. Rumors are that we'll be there for around 8-9 months. I didn't know how to tell you. You're my little opihi and I knew that me being away was hard enough on you."

Santana didn't know what to think. Her dad was still talking, but she had stopped listening the moment he said deployment. She always knew that it was a possibility and she read different stories from other kids who had to deal with parents who were deployed. It didn't seem too bad in writing but now that it was a reality for her it was a lot different. This was her dad. Everything changed now. But she felt like she still had a good grip on things, and all she had to do was stay strong.

"I already talked to mom and she told me that it would be best if I told you myself. When I was home. We didn't wanna hide it, but we felt that this was the best way. San?"

"No dad, I understand. It comes with the whole Army package. I read some stuff that other kids wrote online about their parents being deployed and they have a whole support part on the website so I think I'll get the hang of it, I think." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'll be strong."

"You took it much better than your mom, kiddo. I can definitely tell you that. Just promise me, that if you ever need to talk to someone, you will okay? Don't bottle it up."

"I promise."

When Brittany and Rachel reached Laupahoehoe Point, they realized that Santana was no where to be found.

"What the fuck. For sure I thought she was gonna be here. Where else could she have gone?" Rachel was racking her brain trying to think of anywhere Santana may have mentioned. Brittany was just as lost, being that this was the very place that she thought Santana was gonna be. It was frustrating because she felt as if sometime she did t know Santana as well as she should. "Britt?"

"Yeah?"

"When you mentioned, if Quinn had told me. What was that about?"

"I don't know, it was a momentary lapse of my own personal judgement. A dream got to me, and I started questioning shit. But Quinn snapped me back into reality." Brittany was still trying to text Santana but wasn't getting any replies.

"Trust me. I think we're probably thinking the same thing." Rachel looked at Brittany and that's when they realized they both were thinking the same thing. "She lulled away Britt. I know she didn't mention it. And it bothered me too. But she was so caught up in trying to prove that she didn't want to kiss her that she forgot to mention it."

"Why do you sound so unsure, though?"

The fact of the matter was, she wasn't sure. She really didn't hear Santana say that she pulled away. She never mentioned it at all.

"Britt.. if she really was into it, she would've told me. She would've told me that the feelings were back and that it was a mistake blowing her off. If she wanted to do stuff with her? That would've been her chance but she didn't. She came back to you."

Brittany knew she was right. But she needed to know for herself. She needed to hear it from Santana.

"I know I'm just trippin."

"I got you. And I would've told you if she told me anything. And if I didn't tell you, you know Quinn would've cause I tell her everything." They both started laughing. "So see. Just try and let it blow over a bit. And if it's still bothering you, then bring it up with her. Maybe not right away though, there's so many storms in her sky. Her shoulder, and now her dad. It's crazy. I feel like the cracks are coming. From what I heard from Holly, she might not be able to play the first game during BIIFs. But that just depends on her therapy. We have to keep her head in the game."

"Yeah I know. Where should we head next?"

"I'm not sure. But I might know someone who might know where she is. I know it may not be someone you like right now, but supposedly there's a spot where San uses to go with her dad, and there's only one other person who knows where that spot is. And maybe, you can talk to her too."

With a nod, Rachel dialed a familiar number in hopes that they could help them find Santana.

It was getting pretty late now, and Santana had caught a couple of fish. It wasn't a huge haul like she was used to but the size of her catch wasn't the reason she came down to the spot.

Santana always wanted to come down here, but the memory of her dad telling her that he was leaving was something that always had a bitter taste in her memory. This was by far her favorite fishing spot, but because of the feelings associated with the place; it was hard for her to return.

She felt it was only right for her to come down tonight, of all nights. It was a lot different this time thought. 3 years older only meant that she was 3 years stronger than she was when her dad first told her he was leaving in this very spot. Santana left her phone off, she didn't need anyone bothering her. She wanted to be alone. But with headlights coming down the road, she knew that it was about to be spoiled. The car parked a few feet above her truck. Santana didn't think anything if it, because why would she? This was a public area, and anyone could come down here and fish or whatever else they wanted to do.

"San? I know that's you. I know your truck from a mile away." Her heart strings yanked hard. It was Kehau.

Santana turned around to see Kehau walking down the ramp with her flashlight pointing towards the ground. "How'd you find me?"

"You told me about this spot when we first started dating. After we broke up and I realized what a huge mistake I had made, I came down here. Nearly every weekend too, hoping that you'd come down. But you never did. And before you say anything, Brittany knows I'm down here. She's the one that called me, actually."

"Brittany called you?"

"Yeah, from Rachel's phone. She said it's okay, and that she t wants to know if you're okay."

Santana sighed, "I mean, do I look okay to you?"

"From where I stand? You look like a absolute mess. I told you to never wear socks with your damn slippers, bubz." They both started laughing. "May I sit?"

"Yeah. Hop on."

"Look. Before we start talking, I understand my boundaries. I'm here as a friend to you, San. To help you through a difficult time. Brittany told me how rocky things got after that night in Honoka'a and I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, intentionally. I just saw a shot and took it." She looked away. "And while I'm here, I might as well add that I'm sorry for what I did to you. I didn't mean to hurt you like that. Honest.. I was young and stupid."

"Don't sweat it okay? What's done is done. Me and Britt worked it out, and she knows I won't do anything like that to her again. So we're cool. And about that us thing, well.. it happened. We can't do much dwellling on it."

"Cool. Well okay, so.. I heard your dad is going back?" Santana had forgotten for a split second that her dad was deploying again. And hearing it just brought her back down. "I'm so sorry San. I didn't think he would be going again so soon."

"It was bound to happen and I knew that. It just sucks, you know? He's missing graduation."

Kehau didn't know what to say. Her relationship with Santana was rocky to say the least but she knew the extent of shit she went through when her dad left. Their relationship was her first after the whole ordeal so Santana opened up to her.

"I just needed some time to myself. And this was the one spot no one knew about. Well, except for you obviously." Santana looked over at Kehau. "Thank you though, for being the person who didn't let me be alone. You didn't have to come down here but you did. I'm sure Rachel and Brittany are thankful for that. And so am I, of course."

"I wasn't just gonna not check for them. Brittany was freaking out. Don't shut her out okay? When you get back there, talk to her about this."

"I will I guess I'm just not ready to go back yet. I'm okay with just staying here for now and enjoying my time away from reality. I mean, do you see my damn arm in this sling? Do you even know how hard it is to cast a line with my right arm in this thing?"

"Maybe if you're in it long enough, our team will have a chance at winning BIIFs." Santana's jaw dropped. "Ha. I knew that would get your mood to change. But of course I'm kidding. I wanna win BIIFs with you playing. I can't have us beating Honoka'a without you playing. That's just a shame. Pretty much taking candy from a baby."

"Nah. See, senior year and you still think that my team can't do it without me. You don't know us well enough, Kehau Salvador." And there was a brief moment of silence. "You don't mind staying for a bit do you?"

"Not at all. But please, turn your damn phone on and text your girlfriend before she loses her mind."

Santana sent a quick text to Brittany to let her know that she was alright and if it were okay that Kehau was staying for a bit to talk stories.

Brittany wrote back,

Of course babe. I trust you. Just text me when you're about to leave okay? Be safe. XO.

Santana jotted down a reply, I will babe. I'll show you that you can trust me okay? I love you, XO.

With that last response, Santana put her phone back in her bag and began to talk stories with the last perrson she thought she'd ever be cool with, Kehau.

HOLA COMO ESTAS MY BEAUTIFUL FOLLOWERS!

This is seriously a long and OVERDUE wait! This cliffhanger was ridiculous, and being the asshole that I am, that's what I freaking left you with! Jerk, I know. I was re-reading this while I was at drill this weekend and when I got to the end I was literally like NO! Damnit. Lol.

So here I am, writing again. I really need to finish this but I swear I'm only like 3/4's done. So please please hang on. I PROMISE I'm going to finish this piece. I always get emails and stuff of comments from readers encouraging me to keep writing and if it weren't for you lovely people, this piece would probably remain unfinished.

So please keep the comments and reviews coming as those are my main forms of motivation to keep going!

I just wanna thank everyone who is continuing this journey with me!

Comments, reviews and criticism are highly welcomed!

love you all!