Quantico

by FloatYourBoat21

Santana Lopez is a highly trained profiler, assigned to the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. As she works in perfect harmony with the other members of her team to catch the most dangerous serial killers in the US, she also struggles with her deeper feelings for Communications Liaison Brittany Pierce. Can she keep herself in check? AU Brittana/Criminal Minds-style story.

18. Insight

"Only when inspired to go beyond consciousness by some extraordinary insight does beauty manifest unexpectly."

- Arthur Erickson

---

As Brittany sits at her desk, reviewing several case files of potential locations her team might travel to next, she can't help but let out a deep sigh. The cases never got any easier or less depressing, no matter how many of them her team helped solved.

Once the BAU had apprehended their UnSub and were able to mark that particular case as closed, it seemed like 5 new cases would pile up on the blonde's already overwhelmingly high stack of files currently waiting on her desk.

Needing a distraction and some caffeinated intervention, Brittany gripped the handle of her coffee mug and lifted it towards her pink lips. Unfortunately, the weight of the cup — or lack thereof — told the newest profiler that she would have to postpone her need for coffee for the time being.

Sighing heavily again, Brittany leans back in her chair and closes her eyes momentarily. She had been at it for the past hour and a half, ever since she had gotten her first cup of coffee and settled into her office.

Since she was usually the first one to arrive in the morning — only being beaten by Schue, occasionally — Brittany tried to use that extra time of solace to sort through her files before the team met up for their daily briefing and their fearless leader designated their assignments for the day.

Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Brittany opens her eyes and stares at the stack of files again. Grimacing at the pile, she quickly averts her attention and looks over at the opposite side of her desk where two framed pictures sat.

The first photo depicted a rare occasion where she and the other members of the BAU had not been called away for a case and got to celebrate New Year's Eve together with their friends and family. Everyone looked genuinely happy to be at home and have the day off from chasing monsters.

The other photo was a selfie of her, Quinn, and Santana from one of their infamous Girls' Night... the very first one, in fact.

Santana had pretty much kept to herself since joining the team. Part of it was just learning and becoming more comfortable in her new surroundings; the other part was the Latina's need to prove herself to the team.

The last thing that Santana wanted was for anyone to think that she didn't earn her spot with the BAU; that she only received this opportunity on this prestigious team because of her mother's connections.

After being on the team for a couple of months, Brittany and Quinn were finally able to convince the Latina to hang out with just the two of them. Both blondes figured that if they could get Santana a little more comfortable with some of the members of the team, then the Latina would be more open to hanging out with the rest of the team... eventually.

And so, the first official Girls' Night was held at Brittany's house. The three ladies of the BAU indulged in some good wine, gossip, and plenty of unhealthy foods and snacks.

Needless to say, little by little, Santana became more at ease and actually enjoyed herself.

It was a brand new feeling for the Latina.

In her previous assignments with the FBI, Santana had never gotten close to any of her colleagues and wouldn't dare to even refer to them as friends... let alone family. However, the more time she spent with the BAU, the more Santana felt not so alone.

For the first time in her life, Santana felt like she was home. She had people that she cared about and who genuinely cared about her too.

After that first Girls' Night, Santana loosen up a bit and started attending the team outings regularly.

As Brittany looks back at the photo, she can't help but notice where Santana's eyes are trained. While she and Quinn are looking at the camera, Santana has her head slightly turned, looking at Brittany with an expression that was unknown at the time.

How did I not see it? Brittany thinks to herself, now knowing the extent of the Latina's feeling for her.

Over the past 5 1/2 years that Santana had been with the BAU (and since that particular picture had been taken), Brittany had sat at her desk and looked at it multiple times every day.

Staring at the photograph now, Brittany begins to play with the silver necklace hanging from her neck.

For so many years, ever since she was a kid, the necklace symbolized such sadness and hopelessness. It was a daily reminder of a tragic moment from her past that she worked hard every day to rise above. Whenever she was feeling a little anxious or unsure of herself, her fingers would subconsciously find the necklace and the heart charm that hung from it.

But after the events that had taken place over the past two days, the necklace had brought a more positive and happy memory to her mind.

As Brittany's mind drifts to some of the highlights from the incredible weekend she spent with Santana, the blonde closes her eyes as a ghost of a smile appears on her lips.

So lost in whatever sensual daydream her mind had conjured up, Brittany didn't hear the soft rapping on her office door or the barely audible creak it made when said door was slowly opened.

"All good thoughts, I hope..."

Slightly startled by her girlfriend's voice, Brittany drops the necklace from her hand and opens her eyes, meeting Santana's deep brown gaze.

"Hi..."

"Hey..." Santana whispers back as she fully enters the office and softly closes the door behind her. "I thought you might need this."

Presenting the cup of coffee in her hand, Brittany's eyes immediately widen as she nods her head in the affirmative. Laughing lightly, Santana crosses the room and hands over the much needed dose of caffeine to the blonde. Graciously accepting the cup, Brittany lets her fingers linger a bit longer against Santana's as the transfer is made.

"Thanks, San."

"You're welcome," Santana easily replies. "So... am I allowed to ask what you were thinking about?"

"I was just looking at this photo and thinking about when you first joined the team," Brittany starts off.

"That seems like ages ago," Santana says as she sits on the edge of the blonde's desk and lightly takes the picture frame from Brittany's hand. Staring at the photo intently, a tiny smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. "Never in a million years did I think we'd be where we are now."

"I still should've seen it sooner," Brittany berates herself, taking the photo back from the Latina. "I mean, look at this pic... the signs couldn't have been clearer."

"Britt, we've talked about this. You gotta stop beating yourself up," Santana softly says as she lowers the picture frame from the blonde's hand and sets it back in its usual spot. "Even if you did realize my feelings for you earlier on, I don't think that we would have the relationship we have now."

"What do you mean?" Brittany implores, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Well, just think about it. If I had told you or you had figured it out within a few months of me joining the team, there's no way that we would be as close as we are now," Santana enlightens. "If anything, you probably would've been totally freaked out and that would've just made things awkward between us."

Santana pauses for a moment, giving Brittany a chance to interject or refute her assessment. When the blonde remains silent, she continues.

"Like I've told you before... I never had any intentions of ever telling you about my feelings. Your friendship was way too important to me to mess that up," Santana carries on. "But after we had that meeting with Sylvester and just hearing how low of an opinion you had about yourself, I knew I had to tell you. Despite my need for self-preservation, I needed you to know how incredible you are and how genuinely blessed any man or woman would be to get the chance at calling you theirs."

For another rare moment in her life, Brittany found herself speechless.

Before her promotion to profiler, the blonde's bread and butter was her ability to effectively communicate with the media and local law enforcement officials. But somehow, it seemed like Santana had become her kryptonite.

"I know that what I just said is a little contradictory to what I said before, but... the circumstances changed," Santana tries to clarify. "Even though I was still reluctant to tell you how I felt all those months ago, I was hopeful that whatever your reaction was... we would be okay. I knew that our friendship was strong enough to get passed it."

Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, Brittany looks thoughtfully at her girlfriend.

"Sometimes I feel like you know me better than I know myself."

"Well... that's because I do," Santana says smugly.

"You think so, huh?" Brittany inquires with a cheeky grin and a raised eyebrow.

"Indeed."

Hearing the confidence in the Latina's tone, Brittany accepts the challenge that Santana was presenting.

"Well then, what am I thinking right now?"

Pensively stroking her chin with her thumb and index finger, Santana ponders her options before answering.

"Hmm... you're wishing that there wasn't a camera in your office because you desperately want to ravish me on top of your desk," Santana says with her sultry voice.

Bringing her mug up to cover her mouth, Brittany lightly bites her lower lip, trying her best to tame down the fire brewing in her core.

"Tell me, Britt-Britt..." Santana whispers out as she slightly leans in. "Am I wrong?"

Brittany takes another sip of her cup of Joe before putting her mug down and looking at Santana with intensity.

"No... but I was also thinking that I'm glad my office doesn't have audio," Brittany begins to say, lowering her tone an octave, "otherwise... Quinn would be having a field day, listening to me talk about fucking you on my desk."

Momentarily stunned by her girlfriend's words, it takes Santana a second to reply.

"Well played, Pierce."

"Thanks. I learned from the best," Brittany says with a wink.

"So... what were you really thinking about before I came in here? Y'know, besides when I first graced the team with my beautiful face?" Santana playfully ponders, smoothly changing the subject to something less sexually-charged.

Shaking her head at the Latina's silliness, Brittany picks her coffee cup back up and takes another generous sip of it.

"I really was thinking about when you first joined the team," Brittany casually responds, until she sees the expectant look on Santana's face. "And... I may have been thinking about certain things that happened over the weekend."

So much for less sexually-charge.

"Really? Like what kinda things?" Santana implores, knowingly.

"Well..."

---

Friday night

Once Brittany and Santana left the FBI's parking lot and had arrived at the blonde's house, they wasted no time getting down to business. All of the pent up sexual tension that had accrued while they were on the case in Georgia was about to combust if the two profilers didn't find relief soon.

Once the front door was unlocked and quickly kicked shut, Brittany and Santana clumsily made their way through the hallway, discarding various articles of clothing, until they made it to the blonde's bedroom.

Upon falling onto the bed with their naked bodies tangled together, they spent the next hour bringing each other to climax... twice.

Before they became even more exhausted from their amorous activities, Santana returned to the living room, collecting her forgotten clothing along the way. Meanwhile, Brittany stayed in her bedroom and packed a bag of the things she needed for the weekend.

10 minutes later, Brittany entered the living room again, wearing her more casual clothes. However, the sight that greeted her sent a wave of heat straight to her lady parts.

Santana — whom was sitting on the couch with her eyes closed, head tilted back, and hands resting behind it — never quite got around to buttoning up her blouse. As soon as she had sat down and felt the cool air from the ceiling fan hit her hot skin, she decided to leave her shirt open in hopes of cooling off a bit.

Unfortunately for Brittany though, her girlfriend's current state of partial dress was producing the opposite effect.

As Brittany carefully placed her bag down by the front door, she quietly made her way over to the couch. Slowly lowering herself into the Latina's lap so that she was straddling her, Brittany gently ran her fingers down the crevice between Santana's breasts, starting from her throat and going all the way down to her naval.

This caused Santana's breath to hitch.

"You know... I don't see how we're ever gonna make it to your place if you keep getting me all hot and bothered," Brittany whispers into her girlfriend's ear before scraping her teeth against her earlobe.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Pierce," Santana says coyly. "I'm just sitting here, minding my own business. I can't help it if your mind is in the gutter."

Following the same path she took earlier, Brittany now lets her nails drag across Santana's caramel skin, causing the Latina's abdominal muscles to contract.

"Are you saying that you don't want me?"

The question was innocent enough, but it struck a chord in Santana, making her eyes pop open while bringing her left hand up to halt Brittany's wandering one.

Although the inflection of Brittany's voice didn't appear to be harboring some underlying meaning, still... Santana wanted to make sure that her girlfriend understood the depths of her passion for her. She knew that Brittany still had some insecurities about herself from time to time and Santana wanted to do everything in her power to alleviate that, if she could.

"Britt... I always want you; always," Santana genuinely states while looking deep into the blonde's cobalt eyes. "Don't ever doubt that."

Brittany could feel the sincerity in the Latina's words. Although she still sometimes felt unworthy of all of the beautiful things that Santana had said to her over the years — especially within the last few months — Brittany knew that her girlfriend would never lie to her.

Not knowing what to say in this exact moment, the blonde settles with a whispered 'okay'.

Santana leans in and softly kisses Brittany, melting all of the blonde's worries away. When they break a part, Brittany takes it upon herself to button her girlfriend's blouse back up, therefore easing the delicious tension that was bubbling in her core.

"There..." Brittany says after fastening the last button. "Now I'll be able to keep my hands to myself."

"Whoa... let's not get crazy now," Santana quickly responds, wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist. "You can put your hands on me whenever you want."

"Whenever I want?" Brittany says mischievously as she captures Santana's bottom lip in between her teeth.

Santana dumbly nods as she chases her girlfriend's lips when Brittany begins to pull away. Once Santana catches her lips, she kisses Brittany more soundly this time as she rotates them on the sofa.

As Santana lays Brittany down on the couch, she takes in her hooded eyes and the quick rise and fall of her chest.

"Whenever you want..." Santana repeats as she closes the distance between them.

---

Nearly an hour later, the happy couple finally arrived at Santana's condo. As the Latina takes their bags to her bedroom, Brittany gravitates to the large bay windows overlooking the Capitol.

"Wow..." Brittany breathes out, enamored by the view. "I need to come over here more often."

"I would love that."

Surprised by the Latina's stealthy reappearance, Brittany feels a little embarrassed that she let her private thoughts slip out while she was mesmerized by the city lights. But, as she sees the earnest look on her girlfriend's face, Brittany instantly relaxes.

"Britt... you remember Sergio, right?" Santana implores as she cradles the black cat in her arms, walking closer to the blonde. "The only guy that has ever shared my bed."

Brittany chuckles at the comment.

"Of course, I remember!" Brittany says excitedly as she rubs the feline behind his ears. "Hey Serge! Did you have a good time with Auntie Quinn while your mom was away?"

In lieu of meowing, Sergio begins to purr as he tilts his head back.

"I'll take that as a yes," the blonde states humorously as she continues to pet Sergio. "Y'know, I never would've pegged you as a cat person."

"Honestly, I wouldn't have either," Santana replies as she gives Sergio a quick rub underneath his chin. "I blame my mother."

Again, Brittany chuckles loudly, remembering the story of how Sergio came into existence.

During one of her business trips in the States last year, Ambassador Lopez had unexpectedly shown up at her daughter's home early one Sunday morning.

At first, Santana thought she may have still been half-asleep since she had only gotten to bed a few hours prior. After an especially grueling case, the BAU team had finally made it back into town in the early morning hours. Everyone was desperate to get home and try to put the awful case behind them.

Needless to say, Santana was a little out of sorts when she heard someone knocking on her door at 7 AM.

After the initial shock of her mother's sudden appearance wore off, Santana invited her mom inside and led her into the kitchen, turning on her Keurig in the process. Once she had a cup of coffee in her hands, Santana was a little more functional and able to have an actual conversation with her mother.

After their conversation turned towards her love life — or lack thereof — Santana was once again surprised when her mother called her assistant and was presented with a 16 week old, all black kitten, shortly thereafter.

Seeing the confusion that was clearly written all over her face, Ambassador Lopez explained to her daughter that she was worried about her and felt that she needed a companion to share her large condo with.

After a short debate, in which Santana argued that she wasn't home enough to take care of a pet and the Ambassador countered back with a speech about cats being self-sufficient, Santana decided to bow out gracefully and accepted her gift.

"I don't think I ever asked you, but... what made you name him Sergio?" Brittany wonders.

"Well, it was a couple of things actually," Santana begins to explain as she places her hand on Brittany's lower back and guides her towards the couch to sit down. "During the time we lived in Italy, there were a few handsome young men that my mom desperately tried to set me up with. One in particular was this guy named... you guessed it, Sergio."

Brittany giggles, feeling a little sorry for a much younger and uninformed Maribel Lopez in her quest to set up her very gay daughter.

"When I picked up this little guy for the first time and saw his blue eyes, I thought the name was fitting," Santana adds in.

"Well, he definitely is a handsome young man," Brittany replies as she takes the cat from Santana's lap and places him into her own. "Did your mom ever figure out the irony of your name selection?"

Upon hearing the question, Santana chuckles herself.

"Sadly, no. She had much more 'ambassador' things to focus on," Santana concludes. "I think that she was just happy that I accepted her gift so easily."

"To be fair, you were running on like 2 hours of sleep before she popped up," Brittany reminds. "So, what was the other reason you gave him that name? Y'know, besides as a way to stick it to your mom."

"Sergio comes from the Roman word Sergius. It's in honor of a fourth-century martyr, Saint Sergius," Santana explains. "In Latin, it means 'protector' so I figured the name would be fitting since he's the keeper of the house when I'm gone."

"I'd say it's very fitting, right Serge?" Brittany says directly to the cat snuggled in her lap as she continues to rub his furry head.

Santana is ready to retort back with a comment about whether or not she should be jealous of the current attention her girlfriend was giving Sergio, but she refrains. Instead, she just looks at the pair lovingly as Brittany tells her about her old childhood cat, Lord Tubbington.

In this moment, Santana can't help but think how right this all feels: Brittany on her couch, holding her fur baby boy.

It feels like home.

Noticing that the Latina hadn't said anything for a while and was now just staring at her (but not in a creepy way), Brittany stops mid-sentence to investigate.

"What?"

Realizing that Brittany was no longer reminiscing but actually speaking directly to her now, Santana snaps out of her musings to address her girlfriend.

"Nothing... I'm just really glad you're here," Santana earnestly says as she leans over and places a chaste kiss on the blonde's pink lips.

"Me too. Thank you for inviting me," Brittany says with a smile after her girlfriend pulls away.

"I know that I'm usually very reluctant to invite anyone over to my place whenever we have our little group gatherings..."

"We get it. You're a very private person," Brittany politely interrupts.

"Yes, but... I think I could be a little more open," Santana argues. "I just don't want you to feel like you're not welcomed here, because you are. Always."

"I know, Honey."

Santana's heart filled with joy upon hearing the term of endearment.

As she stands up from the couch and extends her hand for Brittany to take, she says, "C'mon... let's go to bed."

Placing Sergio on the couch and accepting the proffered hand, Brittany allows Santana to pull her up and lead her towards the master bedroom, eyeing her suspiciously.

"So, when you say 'go to bed', what exactly does that mean?" Brittany questions, flirtatiously.

"I meant sleep, you horn-dog," Santana playfully says as they enter the bedroom. She leaves the door cracked open, just in case Sergio feels like joining them later. "Geez, Britt... don't you think you've worn me out enough tonight?"

"Me?!" Brittany gasps. "You wore me out, missy. Don't get it twisted."

"How about..." Santana says softly as she wraps her arms loosely around the blonde's waist, "... we call it a tie?"

Pretending to think over her options, Brittany connects her lips to Santana's plump ones, sighing in contentment. They kiss slowly for the next few seconds before their lips disconnect.

"Deal..." Brittany says as she untangles herself from Santana and grabs her toiletry bag. "I'm gonna go get ready for bed. Got a hot date with a sexy Latina tomorrow."

Throwing a wink over her shoulder, Brittany exits the room and goes to the guest bathroom to complete her nightly ritual. Santana just smiles to herself before she goes into her bathroom to do the same.

Once they are both dressed in their pajamas with their faces washed and their teeth brushed, Santana and Brittany lie down on the Latina's king-sized bed, meeting in the middle. As they share one last kiss goodnight, Brittany turns around as Santana drapes her arm over her stomach. Immediately, Brittany places her hand over her girlfriend's and links their fingers together as her body melds into Santana's, like they've been doing this for years.

Shortly after that, they fall into a peaceful sleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.

---

Saturday

After getting the chance to sleep in later than her usual 6 AM alarm, Brittany rolls over to cuddle with her girlfriend, not quite ready to get up yet. However, all she finds are empty bedsheets that are cold to the touch.

"San?"

After receiving no response, Brittany props herself up on her elbows and takes a cursory look around the beautifully decorated room.

"San?"

Just as Brittany was about to get up and go investigate her girlfriend's whereabouts, the bedroom door slowly opens, revealing the missing Latina.

"Oh good, you're up," Santana says with a beaming smile. "I made you breakfast."

Astonished by her girlfriend's thoughtfulness, Brittany fully sits up and scoots backwards so that her back is flush against the headboard. As Santana makes her way over, she carefully places the tray filled with delectable breakfast items over Brittany's lap.

"Wow..." Brittany gasps, taking in the sight and aroma of the skillfully plated crepes, eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit presented to her. "You did all of this for me?"

Santana shrugs her shoulders, like it's no big deal that she had just spent the last two hours grocery shopping and preparing this elaborate breakfast for her girlfriend.

At that, Brittany lightly shakes her head and playfully rolls her eyes at the Latina's modesty. She then grasps one of Santana's hands and pulls her closer so she can plant a firm kiss on her lips.

"You're sweet, ya know that?"

"Eh... I'm alright," Santana nonchalantly replies as she picks up a strawberry from the plate and pops it into her mouth.

"Hey!" Brittany playfully chides as she slaps Santana's hand away from grabbing another strawberry. "I thought you made this for me?"

"I did. But with the abundance of food here, I figured there was no way you would be able to eat all of this by yourself," Santana cutely explains.

"Mmhmm..." Brittany hums, not buying the excuse. "You're lucky you're so damn cute."

The Latina responds by showing her signature smile with her dimples on full display.

Again, Brittany just shakes her head.

"What do you want to drink? Coffee or juice?" Santana asks, heading towards the door.

"Can I have both?" Brittany cutely inquires.

"Of course."

With one last smile, Santana exits the room to grab some beverages. Meanwhile, Brittany takes a generous bite of the crepes, saying aloud to herself, "I could get used to this".

---

After enjoying a lovely breakfast, Brittany and Santana showered (together) and got dressed before heading out to the first part of their date.

Remembering an earlier conversation that they had had months prior, Santana decided to take Brittany to the Smithsonian. Once there, she led them towards the Air and Space Museum.

As they walked around and viewed each of the exhibits, the conversation between the two profilers flowed easily. Brittany even joked about Santana letting her inner 'nerd' come out. Overall, it was just nice to see this side of the Latina... so laid back and unguarded.

Sure, the two best friends had spent time alone together outside of work before, but somehow... this was different. Maybe it was different because now they were officially girlfriends. Maybe it was because this was an actual date — their very first one — as opposed to the other times when they were just hanging out together.

Whatever the reason was, Brittany was basking in the fact that she got to be with Santana like this and see a side of her that no one else got to see.

The only complaint that Brittany had was that she wished they could act like a real couple while they were out. She wasn't thinking about doing anything crazy (like excessive amounts of PDA), but... it would be nice if she could hold her girlfriend's hand or give her a quick peck, just because she simply wanted to.

Even though they were far away from Quantico and all things FBI related, both women understood that they had to be extremely careful and discreet about how close they got to each other in public.

So far, the only people that knew about their relationship were Quinn, Puck, and now Kyler. The last thing they wanted was for someone else to accidentally find out about them and for word to get back to Director Sylvester.

As much as Brittany and Santana wanted to tell the rest of their team/family, they also wanted to be smart and cautious since technically they weren't supposed to be 'fraternizing' to begin with. If possible, they wanted to leave their friends in the dark for as long as they could so that they would all have plausible deniability, if the Dragon Lady happened to find out prematurely.

And to make matters possibly worse for the pair (or Santana, more specifically), Brittany and Santana had to keep a low profile on the off chance that someone associated with Ambassador Lopez would see them.

Since she had so many associates that lived in the D.C. area, it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for one of Ambassador Lopez's mutual contacts to see Santana out with a woman and report back to her. And then the next thing you know, Santana's mother is blowing up her phone and interrogating her on whom she was out with and why she didn't tell her mother herself.

Don't get her wrong... Santana loved her mother very much and was grateful that their relationship was better now and stronger than ever. However, sometimes she wished she didn't have to tow the political line and worry about doing something that could possibly 'tarnish' her mother's reputation... again. Not that she would, but Santana could only imagine if she were to kiss Brittany in public and then wake up the next morning to see herself on the front page of the newspaper with another colorful headline.

Sometimes... Santana just wished that she got to spend more time with her mom instead of Ambassador Lopez.

Santana would tell her mother in good time about her relationship with Brittany, but for now, their relationship was so brand new that they still needed to get used to it. They needed time to adjust and figure out how to navigate this new aspect of their relationship while still maintaining their professionalism while on the job.

Besides all the possible 'what if' scenarios, both women were content to just live in the moment and enjoy what little free time they had together.

---

After walking around the museum for a few hours, Brittany and Santana headed over to the theater on site so that they could turn their brains off for a little while and relax their feet. Since the Smithsonian was having their Totally 80's Film Festival, the couple decided to catch the next showing of an old classic, Beverly Hills Cop.

After sharing some good laughs and actually being able to hold hands under the cloak of darkness, Santana and Brittany made it to Le Diplomate promptly at 6:30 PM for their dinner reservations.

Brittany was in absolute awe from the time they pulled up to the restaurant and were shown to their table, back in a secluded area where there weren't many other people dining.

"This place is amazing," Brittany says in astonishment. Although she made pretty good money working for the FBI, she had never eaten in a fancy restaurant like this. "I'm glad I dressed appropriately."

"You would've been fine wearing anything but those silky pajamas I saw in your bag," Santana flirtatiously states. "Those are just for me."

Rolling her eyes in mock annoyance, Brittany replies back. "Who else would they be for?"

Tapping her index finger against her chin thoughtfully, Santana squints her eyes, looking towards the ceiling.

"Sergio?"

The response completely catches the blonde off guard, causing her to bellow out with laughter.

"I would throw this piece of bread at you if I wasn't so hungry," Brittany playfully threatens.

"Ah, c'mon... it's all a part of my charm," Santana says wistfully, winking at her girlfriend.

Again, Brittany playfully shakes her head at the Latina as she peruses the menu. As she gets deeper into the entree selections, she can't help but notice the increasing prices.

"San, this is way too much," Brittany argues. "I can't afford this."

"What are you talking about?" Santana asks, genuinely confused. "I asked you out, remember? This is my treat."

"Absolutely not!" Brittany says firmly. "You've already done so much for me today. How am I supposed to match up when it's my turn to take you out on a date?"

"Britt... it's not like that," Santana softly says as she reaches her hand out across the table and places it on top of the blonde's.

At this point, she couldn't care less if someone saw them. She needed to have this physical connection with Brittany. She needed the blonde profiler to understand the depths of her feelings for her.

"I didn't bring you here or take you to the museum earlier to flash how much money I have. I brought you there because I know that you've been wanting to see that exhibit," Santana carefully explains. "I brought you here because it's a place that I've been waiting to try it out, but I wanted to save it for a special occasion. And I can think of nothing more special than not only celebrating your promotion, but celebrating us."

Although Brittany's features have soften, she still doesn't look all the way convinced.

"Okay... let's try coming at it from a different angle. You know me, right? You know that I don't have any over-the-top, super-crazy expensive hobbies, right?"

Brittany nods her head.

"Then you also know that besides my car and my condo, the only thing that I really spend my money on is you and the team," Santana continues on. "And now that you're my girlfriend, I think that should give me the right to properly wine and dine you and spoil you as much as I want."

As much as Brittany loved how considerate and passionate her girlfriend was, a part of her still felt a little guilty. Even with the increase in salary that she would be getting from her promotion to profiler (and still acting as their media liaison), Brittany knew that she could never fully reciprocate the amount of fancy dates and/or gifts that Santana could, money wise.

Brittany came from a middle-class family, where her mom taught English to 4th graders for 25 years and her dad was a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service for over 30 years. Both were retired now and living the simple life in her hometown of East Allegheny, PA. Even though her family never really struggled with money during her childhood, Brittany was instilled with the importance of saving her money and not spending it on frivolous things.

Although... she did splurge from time to time, but nothing too extravagant.

When Brittany first started making decent money with the Bureau, she brought both of her parents somewhat pricey gifts for Christmas: a new car for her mom (because she desperately needed one to replace the vehicle she had been driving since the early 2000s) and a riding lawn mower for her dad.

And for herself... Brittany bought the perfect three bedroom house in Alexandria. It was only a 30 minute drive from work and was great for entertaining whenever she had guests over. It also was a steal of a price and a sound investment, in her opinion.

With the career that she had chosen and the crazy, unpredictable schedule that she worked, Brittany wasn't sure if she would have time to settle down one day and maybe have some kids.

But, if she did... there was already a home waiting for her future family.

Looking back at Santana now, Brittany felt a multitude of emotions. Even though it was still very early in their relationship, she saw the endless amounts of possibilities with the Latina. The idea of one day sharing a home with Santana was exciting, but also quite terrifying.

Because of their different backgrounds, sometimes Brittany felt like she was not enough and often wondered what it was about her that Santana saw to make the Latina want to be with her.

With those million different things running through her head right now as she sat across from Santana in the fanciest restaurant she had ever stepped foot in, Brittany felt very overwhelmed.

"But... if any of this stuff makes you feel uncomfortable, then I won't do it," Santana gently says, bringing the blonde back to the present. "I would be perfectly fine just hanging out with you at one of our houses or spending the day at the park. The most important thing is that I get to spend time with you."

Hearing the sincerity in Santana's voice definitely soothes Brittany and eases her worries a bit.

"That's really sweet," Brittany says after a while. "I'm sorry for freaking out. This is still very new to me."

"What... dating a woman?"

"No. Well, yes... but it's not just that," Brittany tries to elaborate. "I don't have a lot of dating experience, not like Quinn or Noah... or even you."

"To be fair, I don't think you can call it 'dating' when Puck meets random women at bars and takes them home," Santana states, using air quotes for the word dating. "It's really just fucking."

Fighting every impulse to bust out in laughter, Brittany just stares at her girlfriend with a stern, unimpressed look; one for interrupting her and two for Santana's crude response.

Having the decency to look somewhat guilty, Santana bows her head and rubs the back of her neck.

"You were saying?"

Softening her expression, Brittany picks up where she left off.

"Regardless of the fact that you're the first woman that I've dated, I've never been in this situation where the person I'm dating is filthy rich," Brittany clarifies, causing Santana to repress a grin. "Even with the guys I briefly dated in the past, I always insisted that I paid for myself. I didn't want to be that girl that just expected my date to pay for everything. I'm an independent woman, dammit!"

The last comment makes Santana giggle.

"You certainly are."

The sultriness of Santana's voice makes Brittany's cheeks heat up a little. But nevertheless, she pushes that aside to finish her train of thought before the Latina's raw sexiness can distract her any further.

"Anyways... the point is, I want us to be equals in this relationship," Brittany states determinedly. "I'm not trying to tell you how to spend your money because it's yours; you earned that from the job and from the investments you've made over the years, way before we ever met."

Santana has a pretty good idea of what Brittany is trying to say, but since the blonde's words are coming out a little rushed and lacks her usual poise, Santana doesn't want to misinterpret Brittany's message.

Noticing the slightly confused look on her girlfriend's face, Brittany takes a moment to take a deep breath and gather herself.

"What I'm trying to say is... whatever you spend your money on, please just remember that I'm a simple girl from a small town in Pennsylvania," Brittany says more calmly. "It doesn't take much to impress me or make me happy."

Santana nods her head as she reaches across the table to connect her other free hand with Brittany's.

"I get what you're saying and I'll try to be more mindful of that," Santana begins before she looks deeply into her girlfriend's eyes. "But you should know... you are far from simple, Brittany Pierce. You are the most complex, intriguing, intelligent, and most beautiful woman I have ever met."

Completely awestruck by Santana's words, Brittany is taken aback. Before she can properly comprehend the true meaning of what was just said, the couple are interrupted by their waiter arriving, causing their joined hands to break apart. As the waiter places down the bottle of wine they had ordered when they had first sat down, he leaves their table to give them a few more minutes to look over the menu.

"Did I say too much?" Santana hesitantly questions once the waiter is out of earshot.

"No... not at all," Brittany answers truthfully, leaving it at that and moving on from the subject before she has the chance to over-analyze her current feelings. "Any suggestions on what I should get?"

"Hmm... since you're such a big fan of Lobsterfest at Red Lobster, how about the Lobster Risotto?" Santana cutely suggests.

"That sounds good," Brittany agrees as she looks over the ingredients. "Wait a sec. I don't speak French, but judging by the category this is under and the word 'Tuesday' written above it, I'm gonna say that this entrée is only available on Tuesdays."

"You're a very smart lady," Santana compliments. "Les Plats du Jour means 'dishes of the day', but it shouldn't be a problem."

Momentarily distracted by the sexy French accent that just left Santana's mouth, Brittany struggles to remember what they were even talking about.

"What?"

Seeing the slightly flush look of her girlfriend's cheeks, Santana had a pretty good idea of what was causing Brittany to be flustered. Deciding to test that theory, she repeats her previous statement while flagging down their waiter.

After exchanging a few quick words, the waiter retreats to the kitchen. Moments later, their waiter returns with an older lady wearing a chef's jacket.

"Oh mon Dieu! Santana, c'est toi?" The chef exclaims as she sets her eyes on the Latina.

"C'est. C'est un plaisir de vous voir, Emilie!" Santana responds with just as much excitement.

As the two women embrace, Brittany just takes in the scene before her. Although she didn't know the exact history between Santana and the chef, she figured that the woman was someone from Santana's childhood.

"It's been ages since I've seen you. Let me get a good look at you," Chef Emilie says as she holds Santana at an arm's length, giving the Latina a once over. "My lord, you have grown into a gorgeous woman."

"Je vous remercie," Santana says in her flawless French accent. She then looks over at Brittany. "Emilie, I want you to meet a very special friend of mine."

Hearing her cue, Brittany stands up and extends her hand towards the chef.

"Emilie, this is my best friend and co-worker, Brittany Pierce. And Britt, this is our old family friend and chef, Emilie Leblanc," Santana introduces as the two women shake hands.

"Spécial en effet," Emilie whispers to Santana with a wink before turning her attention to the blonde.

"It's so nice to meet you," Brittany states.

"You as well, dear."

"Emilie was our personal chef throughout the 5 years my mother was stationed in Paris. Mom liked her so much that she kept her on staff during her next 3 assignments in Europe," Santana explains. "She taught me everything I know in the kitchen."

"Well then, I really need to thank you. Santana is quite the cook," Brittany gushes.

"She was always a fast learner," Emilie says. "How's your mother?"

"Busy as a bee."

"Not surprising," Emilie chuckles.

"I'll be sure to tell her you said hello."

"Please do," Emilie replies. "I hate to cut this short, but I really need to get back to the kitchen."

"Of course," Santana says before seamlessly transitioning into French.

As the two ladies have a quick conversation in Emilie's native language, Brittany can't help but feel her cheeks heat up again over hearing the flawless, sexy accent coming out of her girlfriend's mouth.

Before she made a complete fool out of herself, Brittany sits back down and swiftly grabs her glass of wine, taking a large gulp.

After their conversation is over, Chef Emilie heads back to the kitchen and Santana reclaims her seat.

"You okay over there, Britt-Britt?" Santana casually asks. "You look a bit flushed."

Hearing the tone in the Latina's voice, Brittany suspects that Santana knows exactly what she's doing to her.

"You're evil, ya know that?"

"Me?" Santana says in mock surprise, placing her hand over her heart. "Why would you say such a thing?"

"Because you know exactly what hearing you speak a foreign language does to me."

"To be fair, I didn't actually know that until a few minutes ago," Santana clarifies with a giggle. "I knew that this was Emilie's restaurant and I had planned on saying hello before we left. But, to test out my little theory... I decided to have the waiter go get her..."

"... knowing that she would more than likely speak French upon seeing you," Brittany interrupts, completing her girlfriend's train of thought.

"Precisely. Plus, I actually did have a food-related question to ask her," Santana reveals. "Emilie said she would be more than happy to make a lobster risotto for you."

Seeing the charming look on the Latina's face, Brittany feels her cheeks cool down as her affection for the woman sitting across from her grows.

Brittany and Santana spend the rest of their dinner reminiscing about their childhoods, enjoying the delectable meals that Emilie had prepared.

---

After sharing a lovely meal together, Santana and Brittany make a pit stop at the Latina's condo to drop off their doggy bags and change into something a little more casual before meeting up with the rest of their team. Upon arriving at O'Keefe's, their favorite little bar in the city, the couple immediately spot Puck and Quinn on the dance floor while the rest of the gang sat at a table in the back corner.

"There you are!" Quinn exclaims as she pulls both women into a bone-crushing hug. "For a minute there, we thought you two were gonna ditch us."

"Yeah... me and Babygirl thought you may have gotten 'tied up' with something," Puck adds in with smirk and a wink.

"You guys are such drama queens. We're like 5 minutes late, but clearly you two have already started to party on your own," Santana counters back, noticing the glossy look in both of their eyes.

"We got here a little earlier to pre-game," Quinn says with a giggle. "C'mon! Let's go join the others."

As Quinn grabs Brittany's hand and drags her away, Santana and Puck make their way over to their friends at a more glacial pace.

"Since you and B arrived together, I'm assuming that you spent the day together as well?" Noah assesses.

"We did."

"What did you do?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Grown up stuff."

"Oh, c'mon Lopez!" Puck whines out, frustrated by the short responses his partner was giving him. "I've

watched you pine over Blondie for the last 5 or so years, and now that you're finally together, 'stuff' is all you're gonna give me?!"

Taking pity on her partner that was currently acting like a petulant child, Santana decides to humor him.

"Man... you're way too easy," Santana chuckles out.

"You were just fuckin' with me?"

"Of course."

"That's cold-blooded, partner."

"I know, but you love me anyways," Santana muses. "Since you asked so nicely though, Britt and I went on our official first date."

"Oh yeah? How was that?"

"It was pretty damn good," Santana says with a smile as they finally arrive at the table.

"Now that the two troublemakers are here, I propose a toast," Fabray says as she passed out shots to everyone. "Congratulations on a quickly solved case, making new friends (which I'm dying to meet in the near future; Kyler especially), and most importantly, congrats to Brittany... our newest profiler!"

As everyone clinks their glasses together, they throw their shots back and let out a collective 'to Brittany!' cheer.

Once the burn from the expensive tequila shots dissipates, the team spends the next couple of hours catching up and talking about non-work related topics. As they each talk about their remaining plans for the weekend or a new hobby they had acquired, everyone seems so relaxed and just happy to be back home. They even spot a rare smile or two from their fearless leader in the process.

As per usual, Schue is the first to bid farewell, leaving his younger teammates — aka 'kids' — to their own devices.

While Artie and Santana discuss the most recent book they've read (Blink for Artie; You Are a Badass for Santana) or show they've watched (Doctor Who for the young genius; Wynonna Earp for the Latina), Puck and Finn mingled around the establishment, chatting up several ladies. Meanwhile, Quinn accompanied Brittany over to the dart boards to get more deets on her budding romance with Santana.

"So... is Santana like romantic at all?" Quinn inquires.

"She's so romantic," Brittany says, gushing a little as she hits a bullseye. "She made me breakfast in bed this morning. Then we went on our first date this afternoon, followed by an incredible meal at this new French restaurant. It was probably the best meal I've ever had in my life."

As Quinn claps her hands together and bounces up and down with excitement, Brittany goes into further detail about her date with Santana earlier.

"... and then we came here."

"Wow... you guys have certainly had a full day," Fabray comments. "Now I'm super surprised you guys even showed up tonight. I figured you would've been tearing Santana's clothes off by now."

"There's more to our relationship than just sex, Quinn."

The technical analyst tilts her head and gives her best friend an unimpressed look that says, 'Really? And I'm the Queen of England'.

"What? It's true!" Brittany defends. When the look on Quinn's face doesn't change, the blonde profiler slightly concedes. "I mean... it doesn't hurt that we had shower sex this morning... or went a few rounds last night..."

"You little minx!" Quinn excitedly exclaims. "I bet S is phenomenal in the sack. Like a real tigress."

"Girl, don't even get me started! She is incredible. I'm not sure if my previous partners were just really crappy or if it's just different because she's a woman and really knows what she's doing, but... I've never enjoyed it this much."

Quinn opens her mouth to make a crude comment, but stops herself from doing so.

"While I'm sure that all of those statements are true, I think you might've overlooked the biggest factor," The tech analyst proposes.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"It's always better with feelings," Quinn simply says. "I mean, yeah... you can still have great sex with a cute stranger or someone you're casually dating, but... when you're with someone that you truly care about... that's when great sex becomes amazing sex."

Quinn then pauses, looking over the blonde's shoulder and smirking at the sight she sees.

"And judging by the way that Santana looks at you, like she is right now..." Fabray begins to say, causing Brittany to turn around and take a peek towards her girlfriend's general direction, "I'm positive that you two are in that category and probably on your way to surpassing it. That girl is absolutely crazy about you, Britt."

As Brittany takes in her best friend's words, she glances back over towards Santana, catching her gaze. As she watches her girlfriend having an animated conversation with Artie, Santana shoots her a wink before diving back into whatever discussion she and the boy genius were in the middle of.

"Yeah... I know," Brittany mumbles under her breath.

---

"Okay... Sergio's been fed, so he should be content for the rest of the night," Santana says as she closes the bedroom door behind her. As she turns on the small lamp on her nightstand, she takes Brittany's hands and tangles them together with her own. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"Yeah. It was nice to just hang out with everyone and relax," Brittany replies. "By the way, Quinn said we need to have a Girls' Night... pronto."

Santana smiles, expecting nothing less from their eccentric blonde friend and colleague.

"So... now what?" Santana inquires. "What do you wanna do?"

Brittany untangles one of her hands from the Latina's and brushes it gently against Santana's cheek. She then leans forward and softly brushes their lips together before leaving a small trail of kisses all over Santana's face. As she reaches her girlfriend's ear, she whispers, "You."

That simple word ignites something in Santana, causing her to turn her head and capture Brittany's lips in a soulful, passionate kiss. Bringing both hands up to cradle the blonde's face, Santana carefully walks them towards the bed until Brittany's legs hit the edge of it. Removing one of her hands from Brittany's face, Santana uses her free hand as a guide to slowly lay her girlfriend down and back towards the center of the bed.

"I like where your head's at, Pierce..." Santana husks out as she attaches her lips to the blonde's neck and continues to work her way down. "But let's do you first, 'kay?"

Hearing the audible moan leave Brittany's mouth, Santana takes that as a positive sign to proceed.

As Santana continues to pepper tiny kisses down the hollow of Brittany's throat and across her clavicle, her deft fingers begin to blindly undo the buttons of Brittany's blouse. Once her girlfriend's shirt is completely undone, Santana expertly unhooks Brittany's bra and pushes it upwards before immediately taking the blonde's right breast into her mouth.

"Shit!" Brittany screams as she feels her sensitive buds harden. She can feel the smirk forming on the Latina's lips as Santana rubs light circles onto her left nipple while simultaneously working her tongue against the other.

After about a minute or so, Santana pulls back and just looks at Brittany and her exposed breasts. Seeing the rapid rise and fall of Brittany's chest and hearing her heavy breathing makes Santana's mouth practically salivate. With her pupils blown and now a stark black, Santana quickly switches breasts and continues her previous ministrations.

Everything feels so fucking wonderful, but... Brittany wants more. She wants Santana on top of her, inside her, and all around her. She wants more, but the way the Latina is currently making her toes curl and her eyes involuntarily shut, Brittany is having a hard time asking for it.

Focus, Pierce!

"Baby..." Brittany whimpers out as she lightly tangles her left hand into ebony locks.

"Hmm?" Santana moans out in response, not stopping the pleasure she was giving her girlfriend.

For a moment, Brittany wanted to forget whatever it was that she was going to say and just continue to enjoy that brilliant mouth and tongue of Santana's.

Thankfully for her, Santana was already so in-tuned with her body, even after only being together for such a short period of time.

After giving Brittany's perky breasts an equal amount of attention, Santana kisses her way back up to her girlfriend's lips.

"Can I be inside you, Britt?" Santana husks out in between breaths.

"God, yes!"

Santana grins at the blonde's eagerness as she momentarily slows down the trail of kisses that were leading to where Brittany needed them the most. As she slowly pulls away and stares into Brittany's hypnotizing eyes again, Santana thinks back to the conversation that she and the blonde profiler had a couple days ago in her hotel room in Georgia.

Santana meant it wholeheartedly when she had told Brittany that she wanted to make love to her. She wanted to know her body inside and out, like none of the blonde's previous lovers had ever taken the time to do before. Santana wanted to show Brittany just how much she truly loved and adored her since it was far too early to say such words out loud.

"Britt... can I make love to you?"

Hearing the soft timbre of her girlfriend's voice and seeing the vulnerability and tenderness in her mocha eyes, the answer to Santana's question was a no-brainer.

"Please do."

As Brittany sits up to minimize the gap between them, she softly takes Santana's lower lip into her mouth and nibbles on it while simultaneously unbuttoning the Latina's shirt. Once Brittany makes it halfway down, she foregoes the rest of the buttons and instead grabs the bottom of Santana's shirt and lifts it over her head. As soon as her shirt is tossed aside, Santana quickly removes her own bra as Brittany discards the garments that were still partially covering her upper body.

Now that they were even, Santana gently pushes against Brittany's shoulder to get her to lie back down. Once she does, Santana delicately places her hands at the top of Brittany's jeans. Receiving the go-ahead from her girlfriend, Santana pops the button open and carefully pulls down the zipper. Next, she pulls the jeans down Brittany's long, creamy legs.

Once the jeans were added to the already growing pile of discarded clothing, Santana puts on a little show for the blonde as she unbuckles her famously off-centered belt.

Brittany once asked the Latina why she always wore her belt like that. Santana simply retorted by asking, "Why are you looking at my crotch?" After Brittany's face turned slightly pink at the implication, she and Santana shared a hearty laugh. Since then, it had become a bit of an inside joke between the two of them.

Although she never got a real answer, Brittany couldn't deny that every time she saw the Latina after that, she couldn't help but train her eyes to the off-centered buckle that just so happened to reside above Santana's lady parts.

Maybe that should've been a clue, Brittany thinks to herself.

Leaning up slightly on her elbows, Brittany refocuses her attention on the half-naked, sexy woman in front of her. She intently watches as Santana slides her dark, skin-tight jeans down her caramel legs at an agonizingly slow pace. Before she knows it, Santana is back on top of her, making her whimper as their bare breasts glide against each other.

Instinctively, their lips find each other. As Brittany's hands get lost in darks locks of hair, Santana's hands explore the goddess lying beneath her. As their mouths open wider and their tongues meet, there's no battle for control; there's simply a connection that nothing else outside of those four walls could break.

After heavily making out for a few minutes, Santana resumes her previous journey down the blonde's body. As she teases the blonde's breasts, she travels lower, pecking each of Brittany's abs. Once she gets to the blonde's naval, she swirls her tongue inside of it before continuing her trek.

The closer she gets to Brittany's lower lips, the stronger her unique scent gets. It's driving Santana crazy, but she resists from diving right in. Slowly, she's drags her lips along Brittany's thigh, stopping just short of her apex before switching to the other side. Santana can feel Brittany getting anxious as her body involuntarily jerks up, begging for more contact.

Santana places her nose right up against her girlfriend's clothed center, deeply inhaling Brittany's wonderful aroma. She feels her twitch again as the tip of Santana's nose bumps her clit. Feeling the moisture against her face, Santana knows that Brittany is wet and boy... she can't wait to taste her.

Pressing her lips against the moist spot on Brittany's panties, Santana blows out a steady stream of hot air. The pure sensation causes Brittany to buck up her hips and let out an almost feral groan.

"Baby, please... I need you."

Nodding obediently, Santana lightly grazes her teeth against Brittany's lower abdomen until she comes into contact with the elastic band holding up the blonde's last article of clothing. Once the fabric is between her teeth, Santana gently pulls down Brittany's panties until it reaches her ankles where she can take them off and toss it aside.

Never breaking eye contact with her girlfriend, Santana takes her tongue and drags it up the entire length of Brittany's slit. Feeling and tasting Brittany's juices on her taste buds makes the Latina hum in delight. Meanwhile, Brittany can't help but throw her head back and clench her eyes tightly shut.

Santana continues her ministrations, flattening her tongue and making broad strokes up and down against Brittany's lower lips. She then changes her pattern and swirls her tongue in the form of a figure eight, driving her girlfriend crazy.

"Fuck, San!" Brittany whales out as her hands grasp the bedsheets with a death-like grip. "That feels so fucking good."

"Mmhmm..." Santana hums loudly, causing the vibrations from her voice to stimulate Brittany even further.

Figuring that she's teased her love enough, Santana plunges her tongue into Brittany and begins pumping in and out at a steady rhythm. Brittany can't help but feel her eyes roll back as she experiences this ecstasy. As Santana finds purchase on the blonde's thighs, she uses her hands to push them further apart, therefore granting her better access to Brittany's wonderland.

As Brittany feels little beads of sweat forming across her brow, she loosens her grip on the bedsheets and immediately tangles them into Santana's mane.

"Yes!" The blonde exclaims as she tugs on ebony locks, purposely pushing Santana's tongue deeper inside of her. "You're so fucking good at that!"

Santana can't get enough of Brittany's juices smothering her face or the expletives that keep leaving the former Communication Liaison's mouth. It all just turns her on even more, knowing that she could make Brittany feel this way; knowing that she was given the chance to make Brittany feel this way.

Doubling her efforts, Santana uses her left thumb to violently circle around Brittany's clit, causing the blonde to spew out a few more naughty words from that gorgeous mouth of hers.

"I'm gonna come, San!"

"Come for me, baby!" Santana husks out in encouragement.

Although the muscles in her mouth and tongue were getting extremely tired, Santana didn't dare rest until her girlfriend had climaxed.

"I wanna see you face," Brittany whimpers out, trying her best to not topple over the edge just yet.

"Hmm?" Santana mumbles out, continuing the pleasure she was giving Brittany.

"I wanna see you when I reach paradise."

Understanding now what her girlfriend was asking, Santana switches gears and removes her tongue from Brittany's core. Before the blonde has a chance to grimace at the lack of contact, Santana climbs up Brittany's body and inserts two skillful digits into her before rapidly pumping them in and out.

Santana watches as Brittany's eyes flutter and struggle to stay open. Seeing her hooded eyes and their navy tint, Santana uses her pelvis and her hips drive her fingers inside Brittany deeper and at the angle needed to brush against the spongy exterior of her g-spot.

"Fuck! I'm gonna... I'm g-g-gonna..."

As Brittany's orgasm hits her at full force, Santana wraps her lips around her girlfriend's and swallows the rest of the words she was about to yell out. Shortly after that, Santana sticks her tongue into the blonde's mouth, allowing Brittany to taste herself as the tremors flowed through her body.

As the aftershocks began to wear out, Santana slows her ministrations, allowing Brittany's body to calm down. Once her breathing is mostly back to normal, Santana delicately removes her fingers and wipes them off on the bedsheets. She then brings up her right hand and brushes back the blonde tresses that were matted to Brittany's forehead.

After Brittany gets her bearings back, she slowly opens her eyes to find Santana's brilliant smile greeting her. Something about the twinkle in the Latina's eyes makes Brittany need to catch her breath for an entirely different reason.

It had always been there, from the very beginning... this look that Santana was currently casting her way. She had been a fool not to have identified it faster, but she was definitely awake now.

"Vous êtes la plus belle chose que j'ai jamais vue."

Hearing the effortless French roll right off of Santana's talented tongue both amazed and excited Brittany.

"What does that mean?" Brittany curiously inquires.

"You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Santana easily translates, following it up with a chaste kiss.

"Y'know... I'm already naked AND in your bed," Brittany jokingly reminds as she lightly wraps her arms around the Latina's neck. "You don't have to keep sweet-talkin' me."

Santana chuckles at the implication.

"That's not what I'm doing," Santana assures as she presses another soft kiss against Brittany's lips. "Je t'aime, Brittany."

The words were whispered so softly, but Brittany had felt the full weight of them. As she stares back at her girlfriend, Brittany waits for her to translate again... but it never comes.

Brittany partially opens her mouth to ask the obvious question, but decides to let it be for now. Although she had a pretty good idea of what Santana had just spoken to her in French, Brittany figures that there was a reason why her girlfriend chose to express herself in a foreign language.

Above everything that she had learned about Santana over the years, Brittany knew firsthand how selflessly the Latina protected her, even at the sake of her own heart. But now, feeling Santana's weight on top of her and replaying the specific words that she had just used, Brittany knew that Santana was finally protecting herself as well.

Not wanting to ruin the moment or make things awkward, Brittany casually flips Santana onto her back and hovers above her.

"You're wrong..."

Seeing the confused look on her girlfriend's face, Brittany elaborates.

"You are the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen..."

Before Santana has an opportunity to retort her claim, Brittany captures her lips as her hand disappears underneath Santana's satin panties.

---

Sunday morning

As Santana's internal clock kicks in, she begrudgingly opens her eyes to let the sunlight in. Instead, her eyes meet a blonde mane, which instantly causes her lips to twitch up into a smile. Feeling the warm skin against her arm that was resting around Brittany's bare stomach, Santana pulls her girlfriend a little closer as she plants a soft kiss onto Brittany's shoulder.

Unexpectedly, Brittany turns over and greets Santana with a good morning kiss.

"Morning..." Santana says through a yawn as she covers her mouth while simultaneously stretching out her achy limbs. "I didn't know you were awake."

"I haven't been for that long."

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, baby... I slept fine," Brittany easily replies as she gently pecks her girlfriend's lips again.

Santana welcomes the quick affection, but she can tell that something has Brittany's attention preoccupied by the way she continues to play with the charm around her neck.

"What's on your mind?"

Brittany regards Santana's question before tossing out a one word response that they both knew would be inadequate.

"Just thinking about some things," Brittany settles on.

Upon hearing this, Santana props herself up on her side, using her hand to hold up her head. Brittany follows suit.

"Are you thinking about what I said to you last night?" Santana bluntly asks, not wanting to beat around the bush.

"Maybe."

"Did I freak you out?"

"No... no, of course not," Brittany assures. "I guess I'm just wondering why you said what you said the way you said it, if that makes sense?"

After deciphering her word puzzle, Santana takes a deep breath and answers her question as truthfully as possible.

"Because I needed to say it... but I know it's way too early to say it in a language that you're fluent in," Santana openly explains. "Let's face it... I've been in this relationship a lot longer than you have. Like, a lot longer. Like 5 years longer..."

Hearing this particular statement causes Brittany to giggle, not because she wasn't taking it seriously, but because she knew how right Santana was with that comment.

"What I mean is... although I may be ready to say those words to you, I know you're not ready to hear them yet," Santana further elaborates. "The last thing I would ever want is for you to feel uncomfortable or feel obligated to say it back, especially if you're not in that place. I don't want to pressure you into saying it prematurely or when you don't mean it."

Brittany didn't know what to say. Santana had hit the nail on the head and confirmed her suspicions from last night. Brittany felt bad because she wasn't there yet, but she wanted to be. She wanted to reciprocate Santana's every thought and emotion; however, she definitely didn't want to say those words without wholeheartedly meaning them.

The last thing Brittany wanted was to hurt Santana.

"I know that you care about me, Britt... and that's enough," Santana softly says after a beat, breaking Brittany away from her all-consuming thoughts.

Overwhelmed by the amount of love that Santana constantly showed her, Brittany crashes her lips against the Latina's, trying to convey all of the passion she had inside of her. Santana welcomed the sudden attack, knowing that the blonde desperately needed this connection right now.

Once the need for air became apparent, the two parted, but stayed relatively close. As Santana's back laid flat against the bed, Brittany's body was half covering her girlfriend's as she used her finger to draw random patterns near Santana's clavicle. As she continued the movements with her fingers and caught her breath, Brittany's curious mind continued to run amuck.

"When did you first know?" Brittany suddenly asks.

"What? That I liked you... or the other thing?"

"Both."

Resting one arm behind her head while the other played with Brittany's hair, Santana answered.

"When I first met you in Schue's office, I thought you were attractive because, hello... I have eyes," Santana starts out with, making the blonde playfully roll her eyes. "But once I finally got to talk to you as you were showing me around the BAU, I couldn't help but be enamored by you. Your passion for what we do despite all of the horrible things we see has amazed from the very beginning."

Santana pauses for a moment, making sure she was directly looking into Brittany's eyes when she said the next part.

"But the fact that you were so kind and open to me really tipped my physical attraction to you over to something not so superficial. You gave me a chance to be a part of this team — this family — while everyone else was still guarded and skeptical about me. I don't blame the others for their reservations, but it really meant a lot that you went out of your way to make sure I felt welcomed."

Brittany appreciates her girlfriend's candor. She was still getting used to this more open and vulnerable side of Santana, but she was very thankful that the Latina trusted her enough to let her in passed those high walls she had built over the years.

"Is that why it took you so long to finally agree to hang out with any of us outside of work?" Brittany inquires.

Santana chuckles at that.

"Yeah. The whole dynamic between you and the team was brand new to me. I wasn't sure if I would fit in or be accepted if you guys got to know the real me," Santana explains. "If you haven't noticed... I'm a little guarded too."

Hearing the self-deprecating joke, Brittany offers Santana a warm smile.

"More than anything, I just wanted a chance to prove to you all that I was worthy to be on your team. I didn't want my mother's political connections or my past with Will to be the reason everyone assumed as to why I was able to get into the BAU."

When Santana had first joined the team, it caused a bit of a stir because Will had not been informed beforehand that there would be an addition to his team. What was even more surprising was that Will knew Santana. He had worked on Ambassador Lopez's security detail when she was a teenager and her mother had been stationed in Rome. And although it was nice to see Santana again and read about all of her accolades and accommodations since joining the FBI, Will was less than thrilled that Director Sylvester had sunk to this level to rile up the curly-headed man.

"I knew that my mother and the Dragon Lady ran in the same circles, but I had no idea that my transfer to the BAU was a part of her way to stick it to Will," Santana says, delving deeper.

"Yeah, she's been trying to split up our team for the longest time. I'm not sure what her history is with Will, but it's clear that she despises him. The feelings mutual though," Brittany adds in. "Sylvester has tried her damnedest to get rid of Will, specifically, for her own personal reasons; but as you can see, she hasn't been successful."

"I guess she thought I would feel indebted to her and find some dirt on Will to pass along to her to show my gratitude..."

"Obviously, she doesn't know a thing about you if she thought that plan would work," Brittany says knowingly. "I was just as shocked as everybody when I heard that you resigned. I'm so thankful that we were able to stop it before it became official."

"That whole situation was a prime example of why I don't let people get too close to me. Being an ambassador's kid, you just never really know if people are noble with their intentions or if they're just looking to use you to get into my mother's good graces," Santana reveals.

"But... you trusted us. You believed in us," Brittany slowly speaks out, each word hitting her like a ton of bricks.

Until this very moment, she had not fully understood the depths of Santana's reluctance to let anyone close enough to see the woman behind the badge and credentials.

"I did."

"But why? We could've just as easily turned our backs on you and further perpetuated your entire philosophy of not trusting others."

"True... I guess I just trusted my gut instinct," Santana settles on.

"Well, I'm glad you did. This team wouldn't be the same without you," Brittany sincerely states.

"That means a lot, Britt. Thank you."

Brittany then leans in and gently presses her lips to Santana's. She was really enjoying this part of their relationship; the intimacy that comes from connecting with someone mentally and emotionally... not just physically.

"So... what about the other part?" Brittany implores as she continues to trace feather-like shapes against the Latina's skin.

Raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, Santana dares Brittany to ask her the specific question she was inquiring about.

Rising to the challenge, Brittany looks Santana square in the eyes. "When did your feelings go from liking me to... something more?"

Santana's features soften as she brushes some of Brittany's loose hair behind her ear. She then trails her finger down from her cheek towards her chest. Gently, she grasps the heart charm hanging from Brittany's necklace in her hand.

"It was about six months after I joined the team. We had just gotten back from that case in Nevada," Santana starts to say, giving the blonde a chance to think back to a time so long ago. "It was the one where the UnSub staged the victims to appear as if they had—"

"...committed suicide," Brittany quietly recollects.

That was a particularly trying case for the former Communications Liaison. It stirred up an array of emotions and left Brittany feeling relatively weak. But... being the amazing agent that she was, Brittany held her emotions in check and was able to compartmentalize her personal baggage so that she could help the team solve the case.

"I could tell that the case really affected you; I just didn't know why," Santana clarifies. "When we got back into town, of course Q wanted to go out to blow off some steam. I was actually surprised that you agreed to go."

"To be honest, so was I," Brittany says with a small smile.

"Since you had more than your normal two drinks — not that I was paying close attention to you or anything — I took you home," Santana quickly adds in, feeling slightly embarrassed by the admission. "Anyways... when we got there, I set you up on the couch and gave you some water and aspirin. I would've taken you to your bedroom, but since I had never been in there before, I didn't want to invade your personal space."

"Always so considerate," Brittany says, grateful of the Latina's actions.

"I try," Santana replies back. "While you were trying to sober up, that's when you told me about... Amy."

The mere mention of her sister's name knocks all of the air out of Brittany's lungs.

Brittany was only 11 years old when her sister took her own life. Although it happened nearly 20 years ago, she vividly remembers it like it was yesterday.

—

It was a Thursday. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary about that particular day as Brittany was woken up by her mother so that she could get ready for school. As she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and got dressed for the day, Mrs. Pierce prepared a hearty breakfast. After enjoying the meal with her family, Brittany and Amy hugged their father and then retreated to their bedrooms and retrieved their backpacks as their parents kissed goodbye.

It was then that Amy entered her younger sister's room and sat down on her bed. Confused by the faraway look on Amy's face, naturally, Brittany asked her if she was okay. Amy had assured her that she was fine and then proceeded to remove the necklace from her neck and placed it around her younger sister. She told Brittany that she loved her and that she was the best sister that anyone could ever ask for. Brittany smiled widely and hugged her sister tightly, telling her that she loved Amy as well.

Shortly after that, their moment was interrupted when Mrs. Pierce yelled from downstairs that they needed to leave for school. Amy walked Brittany downstairs and told her to have a good day. She hugged her mother goodbye as Mrs. Pierce gently reminded her eldest daughter to not be late for school. Amy smiled and agreed. She then gave Brittany one last hug before disappearing upstairs and back into her room.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that Brittany's world became shattered.

Once she and her mother had returned home from school, Brittany raced upstairs in search of her sister. She had received an A+ on her Math test and she wanted to celebrate with Amy, who had helped her study the night before.

After she couldn't find her sister in her bedroom, Brittany saw that the door to the bathroom they shared was closed. As she approached the door, she lightly knocked and called out Amy's name. When she got no response, she tried again, but ended up with the same results. Finally, Brittany decided to just let herself into the bathroom.

As she turned the knob and pushed the door open, Brittany stood frozen in the doorway. As her eyes landed on her sister's pale, lifeless body sitting in a bathtub filled with a mixture of blood and water, Brittany screamed at the top of her lungs.

Terrified by the bone-chilling scream from her youngest daughter, Mrs. Pierce ran up the stairs until she arrived at the source of the distressed sound. Brittany was unresponsive while her mother tried to ask her what was wrong. Only when Brittany was able to lift up her trembling hand and point towards the bathtub did Mrs. Pierce connect the puzzle pieces and nearly faint.

Amy was gone. She was only 17.

—

"I've never told anyone about Amy before," Brittany softly whispers after a beat. "Schue knows because it's in my file; a part of my background check. I imagine Quinn knows as well, just because the words 'her' and 'privacy' don't really go together."

Brittany lightly chuckles at her own joke as she wipes her eyes to contain the tears begging to fall.

"To be honest, I don't even remember telling you that. You never said anything."

"I figured it wasn't something that you really talked about. I didn't want to make things awkward or possibly embarrass you by bringing it up later, especially if you didn't remember," Santana replies, just as softly.

"Even so... I must've felt pretty safe around you to tell you about the most painful experience of my life, inebriated or not."

"I'm glad I could be there for you," Santana says as she wipes away the wetness from the blonde's eyes.

"So... what exactly about that situation made your feelings evolve?"

Santana takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out.

"That was the first time I ever saw you cry. Even though it was incredibly sad to hear such a painful story, I have never been more in awe of you," Santana says in all sincerity. "You were so open and unbridled; it was a beautiful thing to witness."

"I didn't even know she was hurting. I found her diary a few days later, and... she was so depressed," Brittany says; her voice a little shaky. "How did I not notice?"

"Oh, baby... you were just a kid," Santana soothingly says as she sits up, cradling her girlfriend in her arms.

The dam finally breaks as Brittany lets out all of the emotions she's kept pent up and under wraps since she was a young girl. She wraps her arms tightly against Santana's body, feeling the comfort and strength of the woman she gets to call hers.

As Santana gently rocks them back and forth, she whispers loving words of encouragement into the blonde's ear. More than anything, she wanted Brittany to know that she was not alone.

After a while, Brittany's breathing evens out and her tears subside.

"I wish I knew you when we were younger. I wish I could take away every ounce of your pain."

Brittany raises her head from Santana's shoulder, where it was resting. She then looks deep into her girlfriend's chocolate eyes.

"I absolutely believe you... but I don't need you to be my savior," Brittany starts to say. "I wish and pray like hell – every day – that Amy was still here. But she's not... and nothing I do can change that."

Brittany then tangles her fingers with Santana's.

"But, I also know that without that pain, without that suffering... I wouldn't be the person I am today. I wouldn't be here, with the BAU; this family I love so much. And I most certainly would not have met you."

"She would be so proud of the woman you've become," Santana firmly states as her eyes get a little misty. "I just know it."

Brittany's eyes break contact with her girlfriend and instantly land on the necklace that she had never taken off since the day Amy had given it to her. As she studies the charm, Brittany feels a sense of clarity; a sense of peace.

"Maybe it's time to stop looking at this and thinking of everything that I lost..." Brittany ponders out loud. "Maybe it's time to move forward and focus on everything that I've gained since then; to the woman that I've become today."

Brittany then gazes back up at Santana, meeting her penetrating stare. Feeling the silver heart in her hand, for the first time in years, the weight of it doesn't seem so heavy anymore.

As Brittany shifts her position on Santana's lap so that she is straddling her now, she slowly uses her body to push the Latina down until Santana is flat on her back again. Placing a hand on each side of her head, Brittany lays her body flush against her girlfriend.

"You think you could help me with that?" Brittany says in a dangerously low tone.

Instinctively, Santana wraps her arms around Brittany's lower back and hugs her body as tightly as possible.

"It would be my absolute pleasure."

Without another word, their lips meet in a passionate kiss that sets both of their souls on fire.

---

Present day

"Uh, hellllloooooooo!"

Breaking from their deep thoughts about the incredible weekend they had just spent together, Brittany and Santana finally look up to find Quinn standing in front of the blonde's desk, frantically waving her arms back and forth.

"Oh, hey Quinn! How long you been standing there?" Brittany wonders.

"Long enough to witness the googly eyes you two have been sending each other for the past few minutes," the tech analyst huffs out. "I, for one, will not be ignored!"

"My bad, Q. We were just reminiscing about some stuff," Santana carefully states.

"Some stuff, my ass!" Quinn says knowing, waving the Latina off with her hand. "Someone more gullible might buy that weak-ass story, but not the Queen of All Things Cyber. I could feel the sexual tension oozing off you two from my lair."

"Told ya she'd be watching," Santana mumbles out like an aside.

"Y'know I can hear you, right?"

Santana opens her mouth to retort, but then just chooses to remain silent. Knowing Q, any response she may have had on the tip of her tongue would be torn to pieces by the technical goddess. Or her credit score would be threatened… again.

"Smart lady…" Fabray praises the Latina. "Any who, I just came in here to let you guys know that Schue wants us in the conference room. Pronto."

"Thanks, Q!" Both agents say in unison.

Quinn dutifully nods her head at the two women. Mission completed.

"As you were," Fabray says, dismissing herself. As she turns around and heads for the door, she does a quick look-back at Brittany and mouths 'deets later' before winking and quickly exiting, closing it behind her. Santana is none the wiser.

"Duty calls."

"Yup…" Santana agrees as she presents her arms towards the door, allowing Brittany to go ahead of her. "After you, Agent Pierce."

"Such the gentlewoman," Brittany gratefully states as she takes a few steps ahead of her girlfriend.

Just as Brittany places her hand on the doorknob, she pauses.

"What's wrong, Britt-Britt?"

Turning around, Brittany faces Santana fully.

"Although you never asked… it was the Ohio case that changed everything for me," Brittany slowly admits. "Truthfully, I had no idea what I was going to do when we left for that case. As much as I wanted to see where this could go, I was still so afraid of ruining our friendship or one of us losing our jobs if Sylvester found out."

"Those are all still very real possibilities, Britt."

"I know… but after seeing the way you recklessly sacrificed your life to save Karofsky – which I'm still mad about, by the way –" Brittany adds in with a stern, but gentle smile, "I just felt like life is way too short to live in fear. None of us are promised tomorrow. So, instead of driving myself crazy with all of the 'what if' scenarios, I took a chance. I did something that made me happy."

Brittany then grabs Santana's hand and pulls her into the corner by the door where there just so happens to be a blind spot in the security camera's view. Gingerly, she cradles Santana's face and kisses her soundly, with the utmost care and softness.

"You make me unbelievably happy, Santana. Whatever obstacles that may come our way in the future, we'll handle it… together."

"Together," Santana breathes out as she leans in and delicately presses her lips against Brittany's, needing to taste the blonde one last time.

As they reluctantly move away from each other, Brittany shoots her girlfriend one last smoldering grin before opening her office door and heading towards the conference room. Santana follows suit.

---

Author's Note:

Hello all!

For anyone still out there reading my stories, I appreciate you so much. Thanks for sticking with me and the other Brittana writers. I hope this extra-long (Brittana-centric) update will be a peace offering for my extended absence from this story. I really wanted to give you all some insight into our two leading ladies and delve into a little bit of their history before the BAU. For those of you that watch Criminal Minds, you'll probably understand some of the dialogue between Santana and Brittany better than for those of you who don't (ie. What happened to Brittany's sister; Santana almost leaving the team). If any of you have questions though, feel free to PM me and I'll try to answer to the best of my ability.

When I update this story again, there will be a little bit of a time jump (like 6 months). Also, for anyone who speaks French… sorry in advance is the translations are inaccurate; I used Google. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ate way too much food with their friends and family.

Until next time!

-K

Translations:

Oh mon Dieu! Santana, c'est toi? = Oh my goodness! Santana, is that you?

C'est. C'est un plaisir de vous voir, Emilie! = It is. It's so great to see you, Emilie!

Je vous remercie = Thank you

Spécial en effet = Special indeed

Vous êtes la plus belle chose que j'ai jamais vue = You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen

Je t'aime, Brittany = I love you, Brittany

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters.