A/N: First thing I am so sorry this took way too long to write. The sad part is I had Three fourths of it done four days after posting my last chapter. I don't know why it took so long to finish this chapter, but I could just not write. Anyways thank you so much for reading and commenting. I really appreciate it.

Friday night

"Where is Quinn, your trusty sidepiece tonight?"

I roll my eyes at Puck.

"Sidekick Puck, she is not my side piece."

"Well I wish she was mine. That girl is fine as hell." He laughs as he wipes down the bar next to me. It is busy tonight in Lucky, Pucks bar. There is a large college group in here tonight and the dance floor is crowded, but here I am at the bar moping around. Why can't I just be like all the other free spirited college students? They dont care if they go home with the person they are dancing with just to have a good time, fuck I am practically a virgin for goodness sakes.

"She said she had a study group thing tonight." I shrug and pout down and my drinks moving it around before drinking it finally.

"Aww Britt, don't do this to me it hurts when you are sad. Hey if you need a hit of weed go to the back. I have some in my office. It can be like old times when you get high and tell me all your problems while I listen but secretly am just staring at your rack."

I swipe his rag from him and swat at him with it. He laughs and takes it back.

"But seriously what is wrong?"

I take my drink to my lips. "Santana is back." I mumble.

He pretends to clean out his ear. "Excuse me."

I put down my drink. "Santana is back." I say more clearly. I huff just letting it out. "I saw her on Monday. She and Quinn ran into each other and ended up in my apartment. She also gave me her number." I look down. "I haven't called her though."

"So, you're telling me that you ran into Santana. Santana Lopez, the girl you have been pining over and you aren't calling her? Also, what the hell is this you found out she is back on Monday and haven't brought it up until now. I am deeply hurt Britt." Pick questions handing me over another drink.

I don't say anything for a minute because I think he will make fun of me but when I look up he is just waiting expectantly at me.

"I just can't call her Puck. She is prolly on her date with a cafe chick right now anyways." I huff out and roll my eyes.

"Well, if they are still together right now, I can tell you they are doing more than just sipping wine and eating, well food that is." He wiggles his eyebrows. "Get get what I mean Britt? I am talking about eating pus..."

"Damn it Puck! don't say stuff like that." I complain about cutting him off and putting my head down on the bar.

"What I'm just saying." He shrugs.

"We'll just stop saying." I say lifting my head to glare at him.

"Man, your life could be a soap opera. I see it now girls and guys have pined for you but you turned them all down just to have your soulmate come back to your life." He pauses for dramatic effects. "But wait she has been dating others and now wants you back. See you really are my entertainment, Britt."

I roll my eyes. "Get back to work, Puck."

Puck just smiles pats my back then gets back to work. I drink my beer quietly thinking of what to do next.

I hear movement next to me. I ignore it, not wanting to talk to anyone since I am in a foul mood.

"So, what is a pretty girl like you doing sitting over here drinking all by yourself?"

I smile but don't look. "Who says I am all by myself?"

"Well sweetie, I have been checking you out for a while and the only person I saw you let talk to you has been the bartender with the Mohawk, and for the love of everything good in the world why hasn't he cut that damn thing off yet." I can't help but laugh at her bluntness.

I finally turn to look at her. A short black and green striped dress accentuating her curves perfectly. Her makeup is smokey and makes her eyes look stunning. And her plump lips tinted red.

"What are you doing here San?" I finally ask after she smirks at me for checking her out.

She shrugs, "I heard that this was the place to go on Friday nights."

I raise my brow and look her over again. "Trying to pick people up?"

Her lips smirk. "Only you Britt. You look amazing by the way, but I think I still prefer what you were wearing in your bedroom last I saw you." She winked, causing my heart to flutter.

I roll my eyes. "Shouldn't you be on your date? Or did it end early?"

She leans closer to me giving me her undivided attention. "You know what? This funny thing happened where I got a big dose of reality check, and I just couldn't go through with it."

"Oh really? What might have brought that upon?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

She reached forward and touched my mark softly. "I'm sorry Britt." She catches my eyes and hers are so sad. "I should have let you explain all those years ago, or I should have tracked you down. I was so scared with all my family shit I thought I was just too much for you and you just wanted to move on."

I nod and take another sip realizing that it was empty. "Yeah, you should have San because I would have told you…"

"Sorry to interrupt you Britt but umm someone bought you your next drink." Puck set down a fresh beer in front of me. "From umm Cara." He wiggles his eyebrows at me and then he does it. I swear he believes his job is to embarass me. He makes two scissors with his fingers and fits them together. "Huh huh?" He moves his eyebrows up and down. I just want to punch him in his smug face right now.

I instantly turn beat red.

"Shit." I mumble looking over to see a brunette beauty with beautiful dark brown eyes and tan skin, I don't have a type, smiling at me.

She has on a short maroon dress with a deep v slit showing off her breast. I lift the beer in thanks, and she winks at me.

"Who is she?" I hear Santana growl and I flush.

"Who are you sexy? I don't think I have seen you around before. You know I own this bar. I could totally hook you up." Puck wiggles his eyebrows at Santana.

"Puckerman if you try hitting on me again I will cut your balls off."

Pucks mouth drops open then he looks at Santana closely then to me then back to her.

"Santana?!"

"Yes, Puck now fix your eyes because I haven't changed that much and get back to your job damnit."

Puck smirks at her "Hey San, if you ever want to reminisce about the old times," He did a hip thrust, "give me a call."

"Barf and I'm gay Puck now leave us alone."

"Yes ma'am." He saluted Santana. Then turns back to me. "I'm only messing with you Britt." He says after seeing my dirty look. "Have fun." He walks off to help others.

"Ass." I mumble.

Santana has her arm up on the table turned towards me watching carefully.

"So…" she draws out. "Who is Cara?"

"Umm just someone." I blush "Umm we kissed before."

"Hmmmm" she hums peeking around me. "Must have been pretty good because she won't stop watching you."

My cheeks flare.

Santana stiffens suddenly and glares behind me.

"Hey Brittany." I turn in the direction of the voice to see Cara. She is bashful and her cheeks blush when I look at her. She has always been so sweet and polite, always waiting on me to make a move. This is the first time she actually has gone out of her way to start things with me. Normally I am the one who hits on her first.

"Hey." I smile at her.

"So, I was wondering, Brittany." She trailed her finger up my arm. "I had a really good time last time we ran into each other here. Do you want to make it a nine-time thing?"

Shit. I feel flush. I look at Santana and she catches my eyes. nine? She mouths out and I quickly look back to Cara with wide eyes.

"Or better yet." She moves her hand up to my cheek, caressing it softly. "We could just take this back to my house."

Okay, so here is the thing. I have gotten really close to Cara and she is at this bar every week and I might think she is very beautiful, and I might have done things with her. The thing is though I know she has wanted to date me, but I have been avoiding that.

"Excuse me." Santana says next to me. "You better move that hand off her. I'm sure you had fun last time or whatever but get this through your head. She was just waiting till I came back to her life, so now that I have, she doesn't need the knock off version of me. She's good now, you can run along."

Cara has her mouth open. "Brittany! Say something!"

I am a little in shock, so I keep looking between both girls wondering what to say. I see Cara is really hurt by what Santana has said.

"Umm uhh S-San you umm shouldn't say that." I tried scolding Santana.

I turn back to Cara. "Sorry about that Cara, you are really nice, and I do have fun with you but umm…" I didn't even hear Santana move but suddenly she is behind me pressing her breast to my back and her arms have wrapped possessively around me with her chin on my shoulder. Her closeness is making me lightheaded, and it is hard to think. "Umm we prolly can't do that anymore."

Cara watches Santana's hands with a confused look on her face. "I thought you said you don't date?"

"Yeah honey, she wouldn't date you". Santana says and I feel her squeeze me tighter.

Hurt flashes across Caras face and I quickly step in. "San!" I hiss, scolding her again but I feel her giggle against me causing me to roll my eyes. She squeezes my waist possessively. "I am really sorry Cara." I tell her with sad eyes. I have always hated hurting people and I knew she liked me so I should have stopped it a while ago because I knew it wasn't going anywhere, but it felt so good to be wanted.

She nods and leans over giving me a kiss on my cheek before going back over with her friends looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.

Santana loosens her grip on me and I turn to glare at her. "You didn't have to do that Santana. She is a nice girl. Who has done nothing wrong."

Santana rolls her eyes. "She needed to learn to back off." She reaches over and wipes the spot Cara kissed me on the cheek.

I scoff at her and bat her hand away. "We are not together Santana. You do not own me. If I wanted, I could have hung out with her and you have no say in it." I stand up preparing to leave. I throw down my money for Puck before he can even protest because he always tries to get me more than enough free drinks. I turn and start to walk away.

Santana quickly grabs my hand. "I'm sorry Brittany, I have a problem with being possessive of you." She looks sad. "You are right, I had no right to do that. I don't know your guy's history, but I do know that I hated the look she was giving you like she has seen you naked before. It made me kind of crazy and when her lips touched your skin my heart shuttered." Her eyes are so honest. She takes a deep breath before saying "Can we get out of here and talk?"

I look her over and no matter what I want to be close to her even when she acts immature, I want to listen to her.

I nod my head. "Come on, I know a dinner close by that stays open late. You owe me a drink." I smile at her.

She nods eagerly and takes my hand in hers leading me out.

We walk closely together down the sidewalk. Occasionally we bump our shoulders together or brush our fingers as we walk down the block to the diner.

When we get to the restaurant a pretty girl with long red hair pulled up into a ponytail with blue eyes greets us. Her name is Nia.

She gives me an easy smile "Well if it isn't Brittany. What brings riff raff like you in here." She does a slow look checking me out. "I thought for sure I would see you out later at Lucky's." She smiles at me, her blue eyes light up. "This way, Hun, your seat is available."

Nia leads us to the back booth that is a bit secluded.

Nia looks at Santana quickly then back at me. "What can I get you lovely ladies?"

"A chocolate milkshake please Nia." I bat my eyelashes at her, making her shake her head at me and wink.

She turns to Santana who is giving her the evil eye. "And you, beautiful?" Nia smirks.

"Vanilla milkshake and tone down the flirting." Santana says harshly.

Nia laughs "No problem, Hun." She touches my shoulder before walking away.

Santana, I can see, is seething and I love this jealous side of her.

"Sooooo." She finally looks up at me. "Is this another one of your, seeming to be, many lady friends?"

My mouth drops open. "Really San? Really? Are you slut shaming me now?" I question glaring at her.

"It's not my fault everywhere we go there seems to be someone flirting with you. I am just stating what I see." She mumbled looking down.

"No, no. If we are going to talk, I will have none of this." I flick my hand at her. "Put the lip away and keep your jealousy in tack. Nia is a friend nothing ever or will ever happen between us. She is in a happy relationship with her boyfriend and has been in many of the same classes as me. Besides, I kinda have a type." I say rolling my eyes and looking at her pointedly.

Nia returns with the milkshakes. "Here you go sweet cheeks." She winks and then she is off to her next customer.

Santana huffs. "It is just." She rolls her eyes. "Quinn made it seem like you have just been waiting, but surprise surprise all these people flock to you and you have a history with some."

"I'm sure you have a history too. Besides, Quinn is my friend, she is not my handler. She doesn't know everything that goes on in my personal life. Maybe you should just ask me." I pointedly look at her and her cheeks turn red.

"Hmmm." Santana takes a drink from her milkshake I watched mesmerized as her lips wrap around the straw. Man those soft plump lips. Her lips crinkle in a smirk as her tongue flicks out. She is torturing me on purpose. " Okay, please forgive me. I will try not to be jealous of your harems Britt. Can we start over?"

I roll my eyes at her. "Yes, San we can start over. Let's start by asking questions back and forth to catch up." She nods. "Okay, me first. Were you okay after you left?"

Her face flushes and she gives a nervous laugh. "Umm yeah I um we moved close to my Abuela and umm my mom tried to 'fix' me." She looked up at the light trying to make the tear in her eyes stop forming. "I don't like to talk about it Britt, it was hard and." She wipes her eyes with her arm. "Fuck, I am such a baby." She rolled her eyes, tears still making them water. "My Abuela joined my mom on her crusade to 'fix' me. Let's just say my 18th birthday couldn't come fast enough. Luckily, I was able to graduate early, and I ran for the hills. I made some friends who let me stay with them and some of them were sketchy, but I did what I had to." Her face was hard, and I was able to see how the four years have really hardened her up and shaped her. "I made it. I am alive and finally free." She was quiet for a minute wringing her hands nervously letting the information sink in.

Although I wanted to ask more about her time away, I could tell it still troubled her and I could wait to find out more.

"So, uhh how did you end up rooming with Quinn?" I raise my eyebrow at her because seriously that is her question. I just made her break down and she asks about Quinn?

"She dated Mike until the end of junior year until last year." I smiled at how big her eyes got from this. "Apparently they met at the party where you told me you wanted nothing to do with me then took care of me." She rolls her eyes at me, and I smile at her. "Quinn and I hit it off right away and now she is one of my best friends. We got into NYU together, so we decided to become roommates."

"How are your parents?" She asks right after.

"Hey it's my turn." I huff crossing my arms. She smiles at me and nods for me to answer anyways. "They are great they had to put up with my downward spiral junior year after you left." She flinched. "Them being them, they tried to help me by offering the advice for me to take up weed thinking that would mellow me out instead of my alcohol binges I was going on. Side note it didn't, it just put me to sleep faster. Anyways they decided to buy a camper and now they are traveling America 'living off the land'. They are living their best life." I give her a steady look. "Anyways it is my turn you little turn stealer." I narrow my eyes playfully at her.

I watch her closely and I can see fidgeting from nervousness. "How are you San? Really? "

She takes a minute fidgeting with her finger. "I'm fine. Every day is another day you know Britt." She is looking away. Then she finally looks up at me. "I am surviving."

I can tell she isn't going to elaborate so I just let it go. And give a cheeky smile.

"Okay, it's still my turn since you stole mine." I let the suspense build up and I can tell I am making her really nervous, but I give her a soft smile. "Will you go on a date with me?"

I can hear her shocked breath. She is frozen and looks confused but also so hopeful it almost breaks my heart.

There were so many things I could have asked like why are you at NYC now, when was the last time you dated someone, have you been in a serious relationship, do you like cats, but my biggest question that popped into my head and outweighed them all was why wait? I know we will date eventually anyways, we are soulmates that have reconnected, we will figure everything out, so I am taking the risk. Believe me I know it is a risk. I have been heartbroken before, but I still want her.

"Yes." She breathes out with the biggest smile I have ever seen.

I was beaming just as bright back at her.

"Are you sure?" She questions still not believing me.

"Yes, Santana I am sure if you are."

She nods her head quickly. "Hey Britt." I raise my eyebrow at her. "Thank you."

I roll my eyes. "Don't think I am that easy missy. Just because I want to go on a date with you doesn't mean you are in the clear. You are on thin ice."

She gives one quick nod. "I will show you that I am worth this risk, Britt. Promise." She holds out her pinkie and I slip mine through hers sealing the pinkie promise. Tingles shoot up my arm.

"I can't wait to see."

After that Santana and I shared glances at each other between sips of our milkshakes. When we were done Santana paid. She then took my hand and walked me home; I live pretty close.

"Well, this is me." I nod to my building.

"Yeah." Santana mumbles not letting go but grabbing onto my other hand now, so they swing between us as we face each other.

"I should prolly get going. I have a date to plan."

A small smile graced her lips. "Yeah." She mumbles again and I feel her grip tighten.

I laugh. "San you have to let me go."

She looks up at me with serious eyes. "Never again Britt."

"Come here." I pull her close to me and I wrap my arms around her. She nuzzles her nose into my neck and squeezes me tight. "Goodnight San. I will text you."

"Goodnight Britt." She mumbles against my hair.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It has been a week and Santana and I have texted each other constantly. I feel like we are back in junior year texting each other between classes. Today though I am finally taking Santana on a date.

Quinn is lying against my bed watching me get ready.

"You know Quinn, if I knew you were this into me where you stalk me in my room and watch me change, I might have thrown you a bone and gone on a date with you. Geez I didn't know how desperate you were for me." I grin at her as she reaches over to grab my stuff toy to throw at me.

I duck when the toy flies at my head.

"Shut up if anyone was desperate, I would say you were for me, or might I remind you of the weekend after Mike and I broke up."

My cheeks turn red.

"Shut up nothing happened." I retort as I slip my shorts and shirt off and pull a blue dress over my head. "Well?" I twirl as she checks me out.

"Very sexy Britt." She nods her approval.

We hear a knock at the door. Santana said she would pick me up because she already knew where I lived.

I look at Quinn and she looks at me smirking. "Don't even." I start to say.

She flips off the bed racing to the front door and I scramble to run after her. I reach her sweatshirt she is wearing when we reach the couch and pull her back. The momentum sends her flailing to the couch.

"Shit!" She yells.

I laugh as I slow down, mind you I am wearing heels this whole time and start to walk to the door. The only problem is Quinn is competitive and I did not expect the bitch to launch herself off the back of the couch at me.

"Fuck!" I yell as I tumble forward. "Quinn." I moan out. "You little bitch." I am sprawled on my stomach and look up to see her give me the middle finger.

She makes it to the door as I gather myself up and smooth out my dress.

"Hey nice to see you, Santana. Want to come in?" Quinn says smoothing out her hair.

"Ugh yeah I didn't interrupt anything did I?" Santana questions looking Quinn over then me raising her eyebrow.

"Nope." I state nonchalantly and glare at Quinn who looks smug. "You can go now Quinn."

She laughs. "Okay you girls have fun." She starts to walk away but turns around quickly and stops in front of Santana. "Oh and San." Her smile disappears and she turns into scary Quinn. "You hurt Britt, you deal with me, got it." Santana nods quickly. Quinn goes back to smiling and pats Santana's shoulder. "Alright, have her back at a decent hour, have fun!" Quinn walks down the hallway to her room.

I get closer to Santana who is still standing by the door. Her cheeks are red, and she looks so bashful right now.

"Umm these are for you." She forcefully pushes flowers that were behind her back into my chest. "Shit sorry, are you okay."

I take the flowers from her and giggle at how clumsy she is being. I never got to see her like this. She is usually so calm and collected.

I lift the flowers to my nose and breathe them in. "They are beautiful San, thank you."

I walk over to the kitchen with Santana following me.

"They are red tulips the shopkeeper told me they symbolize true love."

I look over at her and she is playing with her hands and her ears have now turned red as well. I can't help myself. I walk over and kiss her warm cheek. She gasps and it causes me to giggle again.

I finish putting my flowers in a vase and find myself right in front of Santana again.

"Are you ready for our date?"

She looks deep into my eyes and gives me such a warm smile. "I was born ready."