A/N: So, by the time you read this, it's too late. ;) I wonder if some if these chapters are unnecessary; like, should I have just done a quick narration of what happened (i.e. Quinn simply telling Brittany these things)? Then I remember; I like when secondary (and sometimes even tertiary or one-time) characters have more to do than just be there for exposition. So, I write the stuff I want to read. At this point, I've read through my draft well over 20 times and I am enjoying the flow; I hope you are, too. Though, I suspect, if you're reading this note, you are. So thanks for indulging me.

Also, I had to look up if bruises and contusions are the same thing. They are. I figured it was reasonable for Britt not to know.

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Chapter 62

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Quinn's POV

Quinn paced outside the apartment, waiting for the cops to finish 'processing the scene'. She'd called the landlord to let him know about the door and he'd assured her that he'd be by soon to put plywood on the door and a new door would be installed the next day.

She wanted to get to the hospital; Santana had been a mess, crying and shaking, clinging to Brittany, refusing to let go of her. The EMTs had to sedate her just to get her into the ambulance. She knew Brittany was with Santana but she didn't know if Brittany knew everything about Santana's history for those stupid forms. Brittany was Santana's emergency contact and her health proxy but that didn't mean the blonde knew Santana's blood type or the fact that she'd had her tonsils out when she was eight and her appendix at thirteen. Those things may not have come up.

The police finally gave the all-clear and Quinn sprinted up the stairs, Daniel right on her heels, and into her room heedless of the glass on the floor.

"Can you grab that box?" Quinn pointed to plain, brown, cardboard box that was at the top of her closet.

Daniel got it down and Quinn opened it, removing six packets and placing five in her desk drawer. She handed Daniel the box and sat at her desk, dashing off a quick note. She'd have to make copies. She grabbed a tote bag, stuffed the single envelope into the bag along with one of Daniel's hoodies, and went into Santana's room. She gathered clean clothes for both girls and put those into the bag as well.

She looked around the living room in dismay; the place was trashed. She sighed, a problem for later.

She and Daniel left the the apartment, went downstairs, then she stopped cold as they exited the building. "Dammit!"

"What's wrong?"

"We need to wait for the landlord, we can't leave the apartment like this," she huffed in frustration.

"Quinn?" Quinn looked around to see Mike standing next to a police cruiser. "If you want, I can hang around for the landlord. The police just finished taking my statement." His eyes were warm and the offer seemed genuine.

Quinn breathed out a sigh of relief. "Mike, if you don't mind, that would be so helpful. I'd really like to get to the hospital."

Mike nodded. "Go. I'll take care of things here."

Quinn nodded. "Thank you, Mike. I'll have Britt send you an update as soon as we know anything."

"Thanks. Yeah." He nodded and offered a soft smile. "Let me know how Santana is doing."

With that, Daniel and Quinn walked down to Daniel's (illegally parked and, thankfully, un-ticketed) Jeep and got in.

"We need to stop someplace to make copies and then drop these at the post office." Quinn's voice was quiet but determined.

Daniel nodded without question.

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Brittany's POV

Brittany was sitting in an uncomfortable chair by Santana's bedside. They'd cleaned Santana up as best they could, checked her for a concussion, stitched up the gash on her right forearm, and documented the multiple contusions, bruises, bumps, scratches, and cuts.

They'd had to sedate her because she was shaking so violently and wouldn't let go of Brittany. It wasn't really advisable with the possibility of a concussion but not sedating her could have led to further injury. Luckily, she didn't have a concussion. Brittany wasn't sure how they could tell that while Santana was sedated but she wasn't a doctor and, as long as Santana was okay, she didn't actually care.

After they'd gotten her undressed and into a gown, Brittany had been folding Santana's clothes when a metallic clink caught her attention. On the floor was Santana's charm; the chain was broken, hanging off a thread in her bra, (which explained the nasty scratch on her neck) so Brittany put Santana's charm on her own chain until they could get San a new one. She put the clothes into the plastic bag provided by the hospital then sat down to wait.

She was holding Santana's hand, softly running her thumb over Santana's knuckles, waiting for Santana to come around. A nurse came in every now and then to check her IV and vitals and whatever. Brittany didn't know; she was cold, wet, and exhausted, her own adrenaline having been expended long ago. She glanced at her left hand; she'd cut it open (probably when she kangaroo kicked that guy with her hand on the ground) and it needed stitches but they'd deemed stitches impractical given where the cut was so they'd used surgical glue instead. She gently flexed it and winced at the slight pain and pull.

A soft groan came from the bed and Brittany stood up, watching as Santana's eyelids fluttered open. Her eyes were murky; they looked like chocolate that hadn't been stored properly – a white film obscuring the normally deep mocha brown.

"You're pretty." Santana slurred softly.

Brittany smiled. "Thank you."

"I'm gay."

"I know."

"Oh." Santana seemed to be considering this. "Are you gay?"

"I'm bi." Brittany tried to hold back a smile; loopy Santana was too adorable.

"Oh." Santana's eyes fluttered. "You wanna go out on a date?" She tried to focus on Brittany but was having a difficult time of it.

"Um, since I'm your girlfriend, it'd be pretty silly for me to say no." Brittany smiled at the Latina.

"You're my girlfriend?" Her eyes widened in surprise. Brittany nodded and Santana's soft "Awesome" made Brittany giggle.

Santana smiled goofily at the blonde as her eyes drifted shut and, once again, she was breathing heavily, deep in sleep.

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Brittany had dozed off in the uncomfortable chair while holding Santana's hand.

"Britt?" A soft moan awakened her.

She stood up and moved into Santana's line of sight.

"Hey, baby, how you feeling?"

"Thirsty."

Brittany grabbed the pitcher of water, poured some into a cup, and held the straw to Santana's lips. "Slowly, honey." Santana nodded and took a few sips before waving it away.

"Are you okay?" Santana's eyes were still cloudy but were definitely closer to their normal hue than they'd been earlier.

"I'm fine. How are you, is the better question."

"Sore. Tired. Cold. Groggy. Feels like someone set up a cotton candy factory in my brain."

"Sounds yummy."

A weak smile graced Santana's lips and her eyes fluttered. "Did they get those guys?"

"Yeah. The police got them. One of them is here, I think. I, uh, may have done some serious damage to his manhood." She shrugged, not really feeling guilty at all.

"Good." Her eyes fluttered again.

"Rest, angel. I'm going to go talk to Quinn and Daniel." Quinn had texted her when she and Daniel arrived at the hospital.

"You're leaving me?" Santana's eyes flew open and she looked panicky.

"No, honey, no. I'm just going to talk to Quinn and Daniel. I promise," she slipped her pinky into Santana's, "I'll be here when you wake up again. You won't even known I'm gone."

Santana nodded, taking a deep breath. "Okay."

Brittany waited until she was sure Santana was asleep again before walking out to the waiting room.

Xoxoxoxoxo

Daniel's POV

Daniel wasn't sure exactly what had happened but he knew it was bad. Worse than just someone trying to kidnap Santana. Which was bad enough. Something else was at play. He wouldn't ask, though, not yet.

"Quinn," he said softly, "Brittany's coming."

Quinn's head snapped up from where it had been resting on Daniel's shoulder and she stood up. "Britt?"

"She's okay. They gave her a pretty big dose of sedative. Um," Brittany paused to think, "no concussion, lots of scrapes, cuts, contusions, bruises … are those the same thing? They might be the same …" she trailed off, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "The worst thing was a cut on her arm, it took eighteen stitches. It was a pretty clean cut, no jagged edges and the doctor used small, precise stitches to try and make the scarring less noticeable."

"What about you?"

Brittany shrugged and showed Quinn her hand. "That's it. That's the extent of it. I don't think those guys knew how to fight; they caught Santana off-guard. That's the only reason they got her, I think."

Quinn frowned. "Did you break up with her?"

"What?" Brittany looked confused. "No. Why would you ask that?"

"You're wearing her necklace."

"Oh. Yeah. The chain got broken. I guess during the struggle? Maybe? I dunno. The charm fell out of her clothes but the chain was stuck in her bra. I put it on my chain so it wouldn't get lost until we got her a new one."

"Oh. Okay." Quinn nodded and turned to grab the tote bag. She removed the envelope and handed the bag to Brittany. "Clean clothes for her and you. I threw another of Daniel's hoodies in there for her; it takes her …"

"forever to warm up," Brittany smiled, finishing Quinn's sentence. "Thanks, Q, I am really uncomfortable and San's clothes are wet, dirty, and torn." She glanced at Daniel. "I'm pretty sure your hoodie is a loss. I mean, it's black but there was a lot of blood. Poncho should be okay."

Daniel waved it off. "No big deal."

"Was there anything on the forms you needed help with?"

Brittany nodded. "If you can just check with the nurse? I filled out what I could but there were some things about her family history and whatever …"

"Okay, I'll take care of it."

Daniel watched the interaction with interest. He wondered if it was going to become a contest; who knows Santana best, who loves her more, who has more right to be here. It didn't. These were two people who loved Santana and worked together to make sure she was okay; they filled in the gaps in each other's knowledge and experience.

"Okay, I'm going to go back in there. I promised her I'd be back before she woke up again. The first time she woke up she didn't know who I was. Told me I was pretty and asked me out on a date." Brittany grinned. "But she was more lucid the second time so I figure she probably won't sleep as long this time."

Quinn nodded. "Britt?" Quinn bit her lip. "Um, she might be pissed at me but I sent out those packets. Maybe if Julio has something else to worry about he won't have time to harass her. I hope."

"Yeah. She probably wouldn't have sent them but I don't think she'll be mad that you did." Brittany considered for a moment before nodding. "It was the right call, Quinn." She met Quinn's eyes with the same quiet determination Quinn had exhibited earlier.

"Thanks." The girls hugged each other; a little longer than they usually did, each gaining strength from the other.

Quinn sat back down as Brittany went down the hall to Santana's room.

Daniel slipped an arm around Quinn's shoulder and she buried her face in his chest, the tears she hadn't cried all day finally making an appearance.

He held her, soothed her as best he could and, once she stopped crying and pulled away, he finally asked.

"Quinn, what was in those packets?"