"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." – Bernard M. Baruch

Once the team touches down in Lima, they waste no time traveling to their respective destinations. As Santana drives and Brittany sits shotgun, she can't help but notice the anxious look covering the blonde's features.

"You okay?" The profiler softly asks.

"Yeah... I'm fine," Brittany replies back, not convincingly at all. As she continues to stare aimlessly out of the window, her fingers absent-mindedly pick at the imaginary lint on her pants.

"Call me crazy, but for some reason... I don't believe you," the Latina retorts. From the corner of her eye, she can see the small smile that appeared on the liaison's face; however, just as quickly, that smile disappears. "Talk to me Britt."

"I guess I'm just nervous..." she vaguely states. "These people are looking to us for help and I just don't wanna look like an incompetent imbecile by following you around or not knowing the answer to a question they might ask me."

As Santana listens to how insecure and unsure Brittany seems of herself, she feels her heart break a little.

"Britt..." Santana says softly as she removes her right hand from the steering wheel and places it on top of the blonde's fidgety hands. "I can assure you that none of those things will happen."

"How can you be so sure?" The profiler-in-training questions, not totally believing the Latina.

"Because you've been surrounded by profilers for the last few years so you've already gotten a head start when it comes to specific things that we look for that are relevant to whatever case we're working," she answers assertively. "Plus, you've got me... and I would never let anything bad happen to you."

Santana then lightly squeezes Brittany's hand before retracting her own. However, before she is able to pull away, the blonde laces her fingers with the Latina's. Santana briefly takes her eyes off of the road to look down at the mixture of caramel and milky white. She then looks at Brittany and sees a shy smile reflecting from the other woman's face. Santana returns the smile before reluctantly looking back at the road, still enjoying the feeling of her hand being connected to Brittany's.

"Thanks San."

"Anytime."

Once Santana and Brittany arrive at Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park, they immediately survey the area. Prior to their arrival, the latest victim's body had already been photographed and transported to the M.E.'s office for further processing.

"Hey there... you must be the guys from the FBI?" A blonde lady with a sharp gray pantsuit says as she approaches the two agents. Once she sees both of the women nod their heads, she extends her hand to greet them. "I'm Detective Holliday... thanks for getting here so quickly."

"That's no problem at all, ma'am," Santana says as she shakes the detective's hand. Brittany immediately follows suit. "I'm Agent Lopez and this is Agent Pierce. What do we got?"

"I'm sure you and your team have already reviewed the case file so I won't bore you with redundant info," the older blonde replies. "The vic's body was dropped off here around 6:30 this morning. A jogger…" she pauses as she flips through her notebook, "Sugar Motta, was the one that found him. She's right over there with the officer."

"Her name is Sugar?" Brittany questions skeptically.

"Yeah… I know right?!" Det. Holliday exclaims. "I didn't believe her at first when she told me, but I checked her driver's license and it's legit. Anyways, my team has been canvasing the area to see if anyone else may have seen anything or can provide a direction of travel for the prep's vehicle. We're also checking with the staff here to see if there are any cameras set up in the park."

"Alrighty… keep us posted," Santana responds. "We're gonna go speak with the witness and see if she can provide any further details."

"Sure thing, sweet cheeks," the detective responds as she looks back at the two agents and shoots them a flirty wink. "By the way… don't call me ma'am; I'm way too young and fine for that title. Call me Holly," the older blonde says as she walks away, leaving both women stunned.

"Well… she's different," the Latina says after deciding on the appropriate word to describe the detective.

"I was gonna say eccentric, but yeah... different definitely works to," Brittany giggles in response.

"Anyways, let's get back to business," Santana says, her voice becoming more serious. "I want you to lead the interview." The liaison's eyes suddenly widen at the news. "Don't panic, okay? You can do this… I've seen you do this. I'll be right there to help out… if you need it."

This seems to calm the blonde's nerves. Brittany silently nods her head in understanding before they both make their ways towards the witness.

"Miss Motta?" Brittany questions, waiting for the young brunette to nod in confirmation. Once she does, she continues. "I'm Agent Pierce and this is Agent Lopez. We're with the FBI and we'd like to ask you a few questions.

"Sure… go ahead," Sugar replies.

"Walk us through what happened earlier this morning."

"Well… usually around 6 every morning, I come here and run for about an hour before going home, showering, and heading to class," Sugar begins.

"What school do you go to?"

"Ohio State… there's a campus about 5 minutes away from here."

"What are you studying?" Brittany asks, building a rapport with the younger female.

"Journalism."

"That's cool," the blonde responds, showing an interest in brunette. "So… what was different about this morning?"

"Well… when I got to this side of the park, I was about to turn around and head back towards my car when I saw him," Sugar says, picking back up where she left off.

"What did you see exactly?" Brittany asks for clarification.

"There was a guy dressed in all black, kneeling down by the tree. At first I thought he was praying or something," she continues. "Anyways, I guess I must've stepped on a twig or something cuz the guy jerked his head back and looked at me."

"Could you see his face at all?"

"No… the sun hadn't come up yet so it was still pretty dark out here," Sugar responds. "Plus, he was wearing a hat so that just casted an even bigger shadow over his face."

"How could you tell it was a guy?" Santana inquires.

"I could just tell by his size. He was tall and a bit stocky… kinda reminded me of a linebacker or something," Sugar says as an afterthought. "Anyways, before I knew what was happening, the guy took off towards the parking lot. It wasn't until after he was a decent distance away that I noticed something leaning against the tree. As I got closer, I realized that it was a body wrapped in plastic."

"What happened after that?"

"I looked back towards the direction where I had seen the man running. That's when I saw the taillights of a van speeding away," Sugar says. "I couldn't see a tag cuz it was too far away, but the van looked like it could've been black or maybe a navy color."

"Did you see any other vehicles in the parking lot or notice anyone else in the park?" Brittany ask.

"Nope… just him and that van," Sugar replies. "I'm here around the same time every day and there's usually no one else here… that's why I come here at this time so I can be alone and just enjoy the view."

"Where's your vehicle at?" Santana questions.

"It's at the parking lot near the West entrance of the park," the brunette states. "During this time of morning, the West entrance is the only one that's open until the staff members get here around 9. I'm sorry that I couldn't be more help," she says apologetically.

"Don't be silly; you've given us a lot of good information that we can work with," Brittany assures. "Thanks for your time. We'll get an officer to give you a ride back to your car."

"Nah… don't worry about it; I'm a runner, after all," Sugar replies with a small smile. "I hope you catch the sick bastard."

"Yeah, me too…"

As Sugar takes off in the opposite direction, Santana looks back at Brittany with a proud smile on her face. "I told you that you were a natural at this."

"I didn't do anything special," the blonde responds, waving off the Latina's compliment.

"If you say so…" Santana says back with a playful eye roll. "So… what did we learn?"

"These dump sites are random," Brittany simply replies.

"Why do you say that?"

"If this place had any significance to him, the UnSub would've done his homework before dumping a body here," the liaison begins. "There's no way that he would've been careless enough to dump Anderson's body here, knowing that he could possibly be caught by someone who's here at the park running, every day at the same time."

"I agree."

"We need to check all of gates for every entrance of this park," the blonde suddenly says.

"Why? Sugar already told us that the West gate is the only entrance that's open during the early morning hours."

"I know… but who's to say the UnSub left the same way he came in?" Brittany states rhetorically. Santana doesn't say anything, in favor of letting the blonde continue. "If I'm the UnSub and I've just been caught red-handed dumping a body, I'm gonna be in panic-mode. I'm gonna be so frantic and looking for the closest exit, even if I have to make one myself."

"We need to get the techs to check the West parking lot for any possible tire tread marks or anything else the UnSub may have left behind. We'll also get them to check all of the gates for recent damage," Santana says once the blonde is finished. "Great assessment, Britt…"

"Thanks San…"

"I told ya… natural," the Latina says as she winks at the liaison. "C'mon… let's go see what the rest of team found."

After a few hours out in the field, all of the team members arrive back at the Lima Police station.

"Alright, what did you guys find out?" Schue asks.

"Based on the preliminary autopsy report, Anderson's COD was asphyxiation by drowning… just like the other vics," Dr. Abrams starts off. "The diatoms found in his system matched the ones found in victims 2 and 3. His body was also scrubbed with bleach."

"Diatoms?" Det. Holliday questions with a confused expression.

"Diatoms are a major group of algae. They're commonly used in studies of water quality," Artie explains. "Diatoms are unique to the specific body of water that the sample has come from."

"So… do we have a location from where the samples found in the last 3 vics were taken from?" Puck inquires.

"Yes… they came from the Lost Creek Reservoir," Abrams replies as he marks a spot on the map hanging up in the room that they are currently in. "All of the dump sites for victims 2-4 are within a 5 mile radius of the reservoir. Dalton Academy also falls within that radius."

"Okay… so it's highly likely that the UnSub either works and/or lives within those parameters," Santana states. "What's his connection to the vics though?"

"Actually, before we get into that… do we know where the first victim was drowned at?" Brittany politely interrupts. "There's gotta be a reason why he was killed somewhere else and why his body was dumped so far away from the others."

"Britt's right… I think Hummel is the key to identifying our UnSub," Santana adds in. "Artie… was there any other significant differences between the first vic and the others?"

"Actually, yes…" Dr. Abrams picks back up. "Hummel was the only one that showed signs of sexual contact before he died. No DNA though; his partner used a condom."

"Do we know who Hummel was with the night before he died?" Schue questions.

"No… according to Mr. Hummel, Kurt had already left the house before he got home from work," Puck answers. "He said that Kurt had left him a note saying that he was going out, but didn't specify where or with whom? When Kurt didn't come home the following morning, he called the police."

"How had Hummel's behavior been since his break-up Anderson?" Santana inquires.

"Terrible… his dad said that he was constantly depressed and sad. He even thought that he may have been drinking whenever he did leave the house," Noah picks back up. "What probably made it even worse was that he was constantly surrounded by his ex and the guy that he cheated on him with."

"Who did Anderson cheat on him with?" Brittany pushes.

"Sebastian Smythe… the third victim," Puck clarifies.

"Damn… that's pretty harsh," Finn chimes in. "I talked to Anderson's parents. They said that Blaine had been heartbroken since the break-up. According to what Blaine told them, the hook-up with Smythe was only a one-time thing and he immediately regretted it. He tried to get Kurt to forgive him, but no dice. They have no idea where he went last night or who he may have been with."

"So… we have a possible love triangle," Schue says. "We need to find out who else may have been affected by this break-up. Lopez and Pierce… what did you learn?"

Santana gives a subtle nod to Brittany, urging her to take the lead.

"From the witness, we know that the UnSub is a male – probably Caucasian – and is roughly around 6'0'' and 220 lbs," Brittany answers with confidence. "More than likely, he'll be in his late teens or early 20's. He was also was seen fleeing the scene in a dark-colored van."

"We checked with each of the parks, but none of them have surveillance footage," Santana adds in. "However, we did find damage to the gate located at the East entrance of the latest dump site. We found broken pieces of a shattered headlight, which probably came from the UnSub's vehicle since he was in a hurry to leave."

"Let's get Fabray on the horn," Schue states sternly.

As usual, Puck is the first one to pull up the FaceTime app on his iPad and call the master of knowledge. "Hey Baby Girl, you're on speakerphone," he warns before the blonde can say something inappropriate.

"Hey Sweet Thing…" Quinn replies back with great restraint, "whatcha got?"

"Fabray… I need you to check all of the surveillance videos near the area of latest dump site," Schue informs.

"Okay… what am I looking for sir?"

"Q… we're looking for a dark-colored van leaving the area of the East entrance of the park," Brittany clarifies. "The van should have front end damage, specifically a broken headlight on the driver's side."

"You got it, hottie! What else?"

"Fabray… can you compile a list of the local bodies of water near the Cairo Recreational Department where the first victim was found," Artie says. "Once you get that list, forward it to Det. Holliday so that her guys can go get samples and hopefully find a match for the first kill site."

"Who's Det. Holliday?" the oracle of wisdom questions.

"That'll be me, Sweet Cheeks!" Holly says as she comes into the frame and waves at the other blonde."

"Ooh… eye candy in Lima," Quinn cheekily replies. "You should have that list now."

"Wow... she's good," the detective replies as she checks her phone, seeing that she had just received an email from the FBI. "I like her… I'll go give this info to my guys," she says as she leaves the room.

As Schue shakes his head at the antics of his tech analyst and the fleeting blonde, the rest of the team try their best to suppress their laughter.

"Anyways… is there anything else I can do for you fine ladies and gents?"

"Fabray… check all of the staff at Dalton Academy and see if any of them have a dark-colored van registered to them."

"That will take a little time, but I'm on it."

As Santana sorts through all of the information in her head, she has an epiphany. "Q… can you check if there are any local gay bars in the area?"

"Sure thing, just give me a minute."

"What are you thinking?" Puck curiously asks.

"All of our victims were gay, right?" Santana states rhetorically, receiving several head nods from her peers. "Maybe our UnSub was too; however, maybe he wasn't as out and proud as the victims were."

"That makes sense," Brittany agrees. "Growing up in a small town like this, they're probably aren't too many openly gay people around."

"But… if there was a place where a gay person could go and feel completely free to be themselves," Santana continues, "then they might visit there frequently. It might be the place where the UnSub came in contact with all of the vics."

"Damn… I love it when that sexy Latina gets her brain juices flowing," Quinn interrupts. "Santana's right… there is one gay bar in Lima called Scandals. It's located off of W North St. And according to photos posted on their Facebook pages, each of the vics have been there before."

"Okay… Lopez and Pierce, you go visit the bar and see what you can come up with," Schue states. "Puckerman… let's bring Hummel's father down here. I have a few follow-up questions for him."

"Alright guys, I'm gonna work on that surveillance footage and employee records. I'll let you know when I find something. Fabray out!"

"Hey Will… I think I should go to the bar by myself," Santana suggests. Brittany looks at here with a questioning look. "No offense, Britt… I just think that the patrons there might be a little more open to talking to just me since I can relate to them."

"Hot, foreign, and a lesbian… you're like the total package," Holly casually says as she steps back into the room. "Lopez is right though. After the first 2 murders, I went to that bar to gather some information but everyone was very tight-lipped. The patrons there didn't see me as Cool Hot Blonde that was trying to help discover who had hurt their friends. Instead, they saw Detective Holliday, reporting for duty," she says with a little salute.

"Okay then… Lopez you'll go inside the bar alone and talk to the people; Puck, I want you to tag along, but stay outside, just in case something happens. Pierce and Hudson, got to Dalton Academy and talk to the staff and any student that was close to the victims. Abrams, work on a geographical profile," Schue firmly states.

"Yes, sir!" The replies back in unison.

As the members of the team separate to go towards their next assignment, Brittany pulls Santana off to the side.

"Hey… did I do something wrong?" The blonde questions.

"No, Britt… why would you think that?" The profiler answers back, feeling a bit confused.

"It's just… I thought we worked really well together, but now it seems like you're trying to get rid of me," Brittany quietly states as she looks towards the ground.

"Brittany… that's not it at all," Santana assures, linking her pinky with the blonde's. "I loved working with you today and seeing you in action. I just think that this particular assignment would be best if I completed it alone."

"Okay…" Brittany responds, but still has a kicked puppy expression on her face.

"Let me try to explain this…" the Latina begins. "Living in a small town like this, I'm sure being gay – no matter if you're open about it or not – is an extremely difficult thing to do. People are so small-minded here, which makes it even more difficult for a gay person to divulge any information freely to a straight person because they're not sure who they can trust. Trust me… I know the feeling," she says the last part softly, looking away from the blonde.

"I guess I've never really thought about it like that. It makes sense though."

"My mom's cool with it now, but when I first came out… she nearly lost her shit," Santana continues. "Instead of thinking about how this was affecting me, she was more focused on how she was gonna bounce back from the future front page headline of 'The Ambassador's daughter… GAY!'"

"Wow… I've only met your mom once, but it seemed like you guys had a great relationship," Brittany ponders.

"We do now, but that wasn't always the case," the profiler responds. "It took a few years to get to the place we are now so I'm not complaining. I'm just glad that I can say with total confidence that my mom is truly cool with me being gay and not one of those fake politicians that pretend to love me in front of the cameras, but then secretly hates me in private."

"Well… I'm glad things worked out," Brittany says shyly. "You're kinda hard not to love."

Santana doesn't know how to respond to the blonde's last comment, so she doesn't. She just looks back into her eyes with an intensity that she can't control.

"You should probably go… Puck's waiting for you," Brittany says as she quickly scans their surroundings. Once she sees that no one's paying attention to them, slowly leans forward and places a sweet kiss to Santana's cheek. "I'll see you later."

"Okay…" Santana says back as she lightly squeezes Brittany's pinky before releasing it and walking away. Before the blonde is completely out of her eye sight, she looks over her shoulder and winks back at her.

Author's Note:

Hey guys! Sorry for the long delay. I've been racking my brain trying to figure exactly how I wanted to write this chapter. I also did some research so that a majority of the places mentioned in this story are actual places. Again, I'm extremely sorry for the hold up, but thank you to everyone that is still invested in this story. I'll try to have the next chapter out a lot sooner. I also need to update 3rd & Lucky… ahhh! There's just not enough time in the world lol. Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed!

-Kris