Brittany stands up, and Santana follows. As they walk to the door, Brittany can hear her parents following them. She stops, and Santana watches her turn back around, presumably to say something to her mother. She watches as Mrs. Pierce pulls her hand back as if to hit Brittany, but as soon as she swings, Santana throws her arm in front of Brittany to block the woman's arm. "You don't touch her ever again. Ever." She forcefully pushes her arm away, using all her restraint to not punch the woman. Taking Brittany's hand, she pulls her outside and doesn't stop until she has the blonde safely in the car with the doors locked. "Brittany, are you okay?" She takes one of Brittany's hands in hers and tries to look into her eyes. "Baby, are you okay?"
"Can we go to the hotel?" Santana continues to watch her for a few minutes before nodding and turning back to start the car. She drives towards the hotel, listening to the saddest little sniffles as Brittany tries to hold back her tears. It breaks her heart, and she finds herself trying desperately not to cry as well.
After they walk into the lobby, she asks Brittany to text her mami to let her know that they are at the hotel and that she will call later. Brittany nods and sits down near the elevator with the bag while Santana checks in. When Santana returns, Brittany looks worse. "Britt?"
"They already had my cell phone turned off." She wipes a tear that managed to escape. "That was quick."
"Okay. We'll just use mine. It's okay." Santana doesn't know how to take all of this hurt away, and it's killing her. She texts her mother before leading Brittany up to their room. "Do you want to talk about this, Britt?"
It isn't that late, but Brittany just wants to go to bed. Rather, she wants to be as close to Santana as possible. She wants to not think. "Not right now. Can we just lay down? Please?"
"Of course, baby. Whatever you want. We'll order room service later for dinner and watch a movie or something, okay?" Brittany nods gratefully. She strips down to her underwear and climbs into bed, waiting for Santana to do the same. As soon as she does and climbs in, Brittany instantly crawls into her arms. "I love you so much, Brittany. Everything is going to be okay." She can feel that Brittany is crying by the way her chest is convulsing. She runs her fingers over every bit of skin she can reach, trying to calm her down. Eventually, it works, and Brittany falls into a light sleep.
Santana knows that her mother is probably literally sitting with her phone in hand, waiting to hear from them, and hates to leave her waiting and worrying. However, she also knows that it will physically hurt to not have Brittany in her arms right now. Still, the conversation might be better had with Brittany asleep, not having to listen to it all over again. Sighing, Santana carefully maneuvers herself out of bed. After making sure that Brittany is still asleep, she grabs her phone and makes her way to the bathroom. Hopping up on the sink, she dials her mother's number.
She explains what happened and what Brittany's parents said—that they tried to hit Brittany right in front of her. Tears are now running down her cheeks. "I don't understand, Mami."
"You aren't meant to, Mija. Good people shouldn't be able to understand the actions of bad people. I'm glad you both got out of there safe." Then, there is a brief pause. "Poor Brittany."
"Yeah." Another period of silence passes. Santana just watches Brittany's back rise and fall. She's on her stomach now, and the blankets have slipped down enough that Santana can once again see some of the bruising on her side. "I hate that I can't fix it. I just don't want her to hurt anymore." She's still crying.
"Shhh, Mija." Maribel tries to calm her.
"I'm okay. I love her, and I just hate this."
"That's part of loving someone, Santana. Their pain is your pain."
"Oh, also, they already shut her phone off."
Maribel can't fathom this. She knew it was bad, but Santana confirming everything makes it worse. "Make sure you put her numbers in your phone for now. Go take a nap with her. We'll figure everything out in time, Santana. Don't worry. First, we need to let Brittany get to a place where she can talk about it before we bombard her with solutions. Okay?"
"Okay. I think tonight we're just going to watch a movie, maybe do room service."
"Sounds good, Mija. Call if you need me. I love you."
"I love you too."
"Tell Brittany I love her as well."
"I will." After they hang up, Santana sends Quinn a text letting her know the gist of what happened. She sits there, watching Brittany for a few more moments, before Brittany starts to shift. She rolls on her side and, not finding Santana, calls her name. "I'm right here, baby."
"Come back." Powerless against the pout in her voice, Santana walks back over to the bed, climbs in, presses her front to Brittany's, and wraps her arms around her. Brittany cuddles in closer and lets out a sigh. "Much better."
"Agreed. Do you want to go back to sleep, or are you hungry?"
"Hungry."
Santana reaches behind her to the bedside table and grabs the hotel book. "What do you want?" She opens the book behind Brittany's back and reads it over her shoulder. "Liver and onions?"
"Gross, San." Santana can hear the smile in her voice, and that makes her happy. "Guess what I want."
"Strawberry pancakes with whipped cream and hash browns and bacon?"
Brittany looks at her. "That wasn't what I wanted. But that's what I want now."
Santana laughs, then picks out something for herself before calling it down to the front desk. She gets up and throws Brittany a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top before putting on her own cut-off sweats and a tank top. They pretend to argue about what movie to watch, except Santana knows all along that Brittany will get what Brittany wants (which is really no different than normal, before settling on a comedy that Santana hasn't heard of.
They spend the rest of the night watching movies and Comedy Central. While some people drink to make themselves feel better, Santana has learned that when Brittany is sad, she just needs to find a way to laugh.
The next morning, they are just getting ready to go when Maribel calls to confirm their flight arrival time. She plans to meet them at Santana's apartment, because she's bringing Quinn back with her. On the plane, Brittany can't stop herself from thinking about what everything means. "I'm scared I won't be able to stay in school."
"What?"
"I'm scared that my parents cutting me off means I won't be able to stay in school. My scholarship pays for my tuition but not anything else. My parents paid for my dorm, food, books, all that stuff."
"We'll figure something out. Maybe there are other scholarships you can apply for, or we can schedule a meeting with someone at financial aid to talk about it."
Brittany puts her head on Santana's shoulder. "The phone thing sucks, of course, but school scares me the most. And what about health insurance? Teaching dance class helps, but it can't cover all of those things."
Santana knows that, but she tells herself that they will figure it out. Her mom and dad will help them figure it out. "Let's talk all of this through with my mom and dad. They'll definitely have better ideas than we have."
Brittany nods, takes Santana's hands in hers, and plays with her fingers. As soon as they walk into Santana's apartment, Maribel is on them, hugging them both to her at once and kissing their cheeks. "My babies." She sniffs, and Santana can tell she's trying to hold back tears. To distract herself, Maribel claps her hands. "Okay, let's go. Food. Shopping."
As they're heading out, Quinn stops Santana. "Can I borrow your car?" Santana nods, handing her the keys before she walks out.
Once Maribel, Santana, and Brittany decide where to go for lunch, Santana asks why Quinn isn't joining them. "I asked. She said she couldn't come," Maribel explains with a shrug.
Santana just nods, then reaches up and tickles the back of Brittany's arm to get her attention. "Feeling okay, Britt? Do you need a pain pill or anything? I brought some with me, just in case."
Brittany smiles at Santana, once again marveling at how amazing and thoughtful Santana is. "I'm okay right now. Maybe after lunch. Thank you, though."
Lunch is delicious. As usual, Maribel forces dessert upon them—not that she has to do much forcing. Brittany is rarely able to say no to dessert. Then, they go to Macy's. Everything Brittany looks at for more than a few seconds, Maribel grabs as soon as she looks away. Eventually, Brittany catches on and starts to protest, but Maribel cuts her off quickly. "Brittany, I am a grown woman, and I will decide how I want to spend my money." Closing her mouth, Brittany just nods. How do you even respond to that? After some new jeans, sweaters, and makeup for both girls, they head back to the car. "Where to next, girls? Shoes?" Santana confirms, and they head to DSW, where they are running a sale: buy three pairs, get two free. "I need a new pair of shoes for work, but that's all. Your father will kill me if I bring home more shoes. You two, go find two pairs each."
Taking Brittany's hand, Santana leads her to the size 8 section. "San, this is too much."
"Why, Britt? She loves you and wants to make sure you have the things you need. That's what a parent does, babe. My mom is sometimes a little overzealous about it, but I promise you, it makes her happy. It makes her feel like she's helping."
"She always helps. I love your mom."
"Good. I don't think you're going to be able to get rid of her any time soon." They kiss before they start looking for shoes.
Once Brittany lets go and just lets herself have fun, she finds it difficult to narrow her choices down to only two pairs. Finally, she's able to pick two favorites, and before long, they're on their way to their last stop at the grocery store. Brittany mostly just follows along, holding Santana's hand. She's starting to get sore and tired. "Brittany you're not putting anything in the cart, honey," Maribel notices. "What kind of cereal do you want?"
"Oh, that's okay. I have a meal plan."
"You spend more time at the apartment than you do at your dorm, so you should have food you like to eat there too."
To be honest, Brittany likes the food at the apartment, mostly because she isn't picky, and Santana already buys things she likes. However, she picks out a box of Lucky Charms, because they are her favorite, and puts it in the cart. "Thank you, Maribel." As they continue browsing, Brittany throws a few more things in the cart with some gentle prodding. They are soon on their way home, and although she's tired, Brittany can't be more excited. She is definitely ready for some pain medicine and cuddling.
As soon as they open the door, Brittany barely has time to register that Rachel is in the apartment before the short brunette is running at her. She braces herself for the impact, but it never comes. "Rachel! Calm the fuck down!" Santana yells as she holds Rachel back with one arm. Letting her go, she takes a deep breath. "You can't just go running at her like that. She's still hurt, and it makes me nervous."
"I'm sorry, Santana." Rachel says meekly. "Are you two okay? Can I please hug you now?"
Brittany hugs Rachel, who is extremely careful with her. Then, Rachel quickly hugs Santana before taking a step back. "I thought you weren't coming back until Sunday?" Brittany asks.
"I wasn't, but when you told me what happened to you, I felt terrible for not being here. My fathers and I discussed the possibility of me coming back on Saturday, and they would be able to stay the night and have lunch with all of us. Then, Quinn called and told me what happened with your parents, and, after again discussing it with my fathers, they agreed to let me come back via bus today."
"So missing Quinn had nothing to do with it? Hmm?" Brittany teases.
"No! I mean...a little. But really, Brittany, I'm here for you. Also, I know your phone got shut off, and my fathers thought that was unacceptable. So, here." Rachel pulls an iPhone out of her pocket and hands it to her. "You're on our family plan now. None of us want you to be without a phone. My dads already put their phone numbers in there and told me to inform you that since they now pay for it, you are obligated to talk to them and play Words with Friends with them."
Brittany doesn't know what to say. She looks around, but Santana is talking to her mother in hushed tones in the kitchen. It sounds like Spanish, but it's a little too quiet for her to hear. She returns her gaze to Rachel, who is still beaming at her. "Rachel...I don't know what to say. I can't accept this."
"You kind of have to. They signed a two-year contract. Also, they would like free tickets to all of your future dance shows as compensation."
Brittany laughs in disbelief and nods her head. "Of course. Absolutely. Can we sit down on the couch? Sorry, this is just...a lot. Also, my ribs hurt." She catches Santana's eye, who signals that she will be there soon.
As they wait for Santana to join them, Brittany, Quinn, and Rachel discuss how things went pretty well at the courthouse and how they're just waiting for more information. Brittany also calls Rachel's dads on her new phone to thank them and get a rundown on this Words with Friends business. A few minutes later, Maribel and Santana walk into the living room. "Groceries are put away, girls. Let me know if you need anything. Finish those leftovers before they go bad." Maribel hugs Quinn and Rachel, then hugs Brittany and kisses the top of her head. "You call me, okay? For anything. Antonio too. We'll be very upset with you if we find out you needed something and didn't call. Okay?" Brittany agrees and hugs Maribel once more for good measure. She undeniably feels so much more loved by her than she ever felt by her own mother.
Santana hugs her mother again, whispering another "thank you" in her ear before walking her to the door. When she returns, she tells Quinn and Rachel, "Not that I'm not glad to see you guys, but I think I need a nap. Britt?"
Brittany nods gratefully. Nap or not, she really needs to lay down; her ribs are killing her. Santana helps her up, and they head towards her room after promising to do group dinner with the others in a few hours. When they close the door, Brittany is relieved to finally be alone. However, Santana is standing at her desk, looking down at nothing in particular. "Santana?"
"Hm?"
"Are you okay?"
Santana turns and looks at her, seeming nervous. Then, she slowly walks towards Brittany and gently kisses her. The kiss deepens slightly before Santana pulls away. "Will you move in with me?"
At first, Brittany doesn't process Santana's words, as she is too focused on trying to kiss her again. When it does sink in..."Wait, what?"
Santana takes Brittany's hands into hers. "I want you to move in with me, when school ends. Your dorm room is paid until then, but after that, will you move in here?"
"That's...Santana, I—"
"I know it's a big commitment...but I want to spend forever with you, so I mean, comparatively, it's kind of a small commitment. Mami and Papi will pay for two-thirds of the apartment. They already discussed this as an option last night. My mom was just waiting to see if I would ask her. Plus, Quinn is completely on board."
"It's too much, Santana. I can't ever repay them." Brittany feels overwhelmed by the generosity. It's hard to take, all at once. These wonderful people have already done so many wonderful things for her, and now this?
"They put four boys through college practically at once. Me by myself must feel like nothing to them. They already pay half the rent here, so two thirds isn't that much more. They'll barely notice. Also...this is all selfishly motivated, because really, all I want is to wake up with you every morning. I need you here with me, and I really really don't want to discuss any options that involve you not coming back to this school, or doing something that makes you unhappy. You moving in will make us both happy...right?"
Brittany knows she's right. This is absolutely the best-case scenario. Although accepting others' help is difficult, she thinks she might just need to learn to get used to it for now. "Okay."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. I want to move in with you." Santana's face splits into the biggest smile Brittany has ever seen on her, and then she's back up on her toes, kissing Brittany senseless. Brittany pulls back slightly and rests their foreheads together. "I can't be without you either, Santana. I love you so much."
Santana kisses her once more before tugging Brittany towards the bed. "Celebratory nap?"
"Best idea ever."
Exactly 24 hours ago, Brittany had very real reason to believe that she might have to leave school, might have to go who-knows-how-far away from Santana, might not be able to find a way to make a living through dance. Now, today, she has new clothes, new shoes, Lucky Charms, and the knowledge that this is her home. Santana, this apartment, and these people are her home.
