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Brittany lets out a short scream as the first round of gunfire goes off, she climbs onto the toilet her legs shaking as the sound of gunfire gets closer she gasps as the door swings open. It all happened so fast, one moment Brittany was standing on the toilet her legs quivering the next there was a burst of gunfire cutting through the door and then Brittany forcing the breath out of her with a groan as the bullets hit, red begins to pool across her chest as pain radiates like fire.
Santana was 500 miles away but when Sam called her and says “Brittany got shot.” Rachel and Kurt had never seen Santana move so fast throwing clothes into a bag dragging the stairs, her cellphone in hand calling any airline that could get her on the next flight to Columbus. Sam had told her to get here soon the doctors had said that Brittany didn’t have forever. It was 3:45 when Santana left the loft in Bushwick and by 7:37 she’s outside Lima General Hospital
“Hello, ma’am can I help you?” The kind face receptionist asks
“I’m here to see Brittany Pierce.” Santana says
“She’s up on the 4th floor in room 6.” The receptionist says
“Thank you.” Santana says walking stiffly over to the elevator bank pushing the button riding up to the fourth floor, her ears are ringing with her own heartbeat as she reaches for the door handle dreading the worst as she turns the door knob it’s not as bad as Santana thought but
Brittany looks so frail in the hospital bed. “Hey stranger.” Brittany smiles weakly
“Hello.” Santana says shuffling into the room
“I’m glad you’re here.” Brittany smiles
There is an uncomfortable silence as Santana sits in the chair by Brittany’s bedside. Brittany is glad Santana’s here, they sat in silence for a moment before Brittany breaks it. “How’s New York?”
“It’s good, I’m taking extension classes at NYADA, it’s nice, it's like being in Glee Club again.” Santana says
“I’ve missed you.” Brittany says
“I’ve missed you too, Britt.” Santana smiles, Brittany feels all warm inside at Santana using her old nickname.
“Marry me.” Brittany whispers
“I’m sorry?” Santana says pretending she hasn’t heard what Brittany said
“You heard me, marry me.” Brittany croaks
“Britt you’re not thinking clearly, we’re still teenagers, we can’t get married.” Santana says
“I am thinking clearly. I’ve seen this cruel cruel world and I know now more than ever that I love you Santana and that I want to spend whatever time I have left with you.” Brittany says
“Okay then yes, I’ll marry you.” Santana smiles. It takes a minute but soon they’re surrounded by their friends, Brittany’s parents and Mirabel, Sam as Brittany’s best man Kitty as Santana’s maid of honour. Maribel gives Santana away and the hospital minister officiates. Sam and Kitty had source rings from each girl's jewellery box to give to the other a small piece of them to carry forever.
“I’ll be honest this is quite an odd wedding but I knew when I got the page from the nurse I knew I had to do it. Now the brides have decided to do their own vows.” The chaplain, a round faced man with brown eyes and a quickly receding silver hair in his late forties, smiles
“Brittany, I have been in love with you for years since we met that first day on the Cheerios and even if I wasn’t proud enough to admit then or for a long time afterwards I’ve experienced hurt, pain and anger and if you would’ve told me that through all that I would’ve got be here with our friends and family getting married I would’ve gone through all of it for you.” Santana smiles Brittany’s slender hands clasped in her own
“Santana, you are a woman who makes me like a genius in everything that the world tells me I have no right knowing about. You cheered the loudest when I soared and picked me up when I was broken, you sang the loudest and danced the hardest with me. And I will always love you.” Brittany smiles enjoying the feeling of Santana’s hand in her own
“Do you Santana take Brittany to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health? For richer or poorer? Until death do you part?” The chaplain asks looking at Santana
“I do.” Santana smiles sliding the white gold ring adorned with butterflies onto Brittany’s finger
“Do you Brittany take Santana to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health? For richer or poorer? Until death do you part?” The chaplain asks turning to Brittany
“I do.” Brittany smiles sliding the silver platinum band with a snake twirling around it onto Santana’s finger
“And with power vested in me by God and the state of Ohio I pronounce you wife and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The chaplain smiles as Santana cups Brittany’s face pressing a soft kiss to her lips
“We’ll leave you alone.” Maribel says leaving with Whitney and Pierce
“Come on.” Brittany says opening her arms as Santana climbs into bed snuggling up to Brittany, Santana has missed this feeling Brittany’s long body pressed against her and she quickly falls asleep. Once Santana is comfortably asleep Brittany makes her final plans everything was in place as she finished writing her goodbye to Santana and folded it up on the table. Brittany closes her eyes and accepts the end.
When Santana wakes up, Brittany is cold and knows the truth that the love of her life on the table is a piece of A4 paper folded into thirds horizontally with her name in Brittany’s familiar hand opening it with shaking hands she begins to read.
“Hello my love, by the time you read this I will be gone and I think you will be alone for a while and that’s something you should never be. I think that once I’m buried you’ll have nothing to hold onto, but I have one last surprise. I asked the doctor to extract samples enough to ensure that even though I’m gone we can still have kids. Promise me one thing, Santana, when they’re old enough tell them the story of us. About how I gave hope to the scared repressed lesbian, about how she gave hope to the finest unicorn at McKinley high and how she broke up with me but never stopped loving me, how we got married as I lay dying. Tell them this was the story of their mama Brittany and this is how it ends.” Santana folds the letter and puts it into her pocket.
Santana sleepwalks through the days before the funeral, numb at the fact the Brittany is really gone she keeps praying she'll wake up and Brittany will be there married to her and alive, Whitney and her mother try to coax her into planning the thing but Santana’s too numb to even cry the only thing she puts her input on was the music the songs were going to Songbird when they reflected on Brittany’s amazing life and Landslide as they carried her to the plot, Santana’s father David had paid for the plot for both women when Santana’s time came many years off.
When the day of the funeral came everyone from the Glee Club past and present came back to Lima to support her, Kurt and Rachel came down from New York, Quinn came from New Haven, Blaine, Tina, Artie, Sam and the new kids had been her rock, Finn came from University and Puck from wherever he’d been drifting, Mike came Chicago. It was nice they all hugged her and told her how sorry they were for her loss. She took in a heavy breath when the minister invited her to the stand to say a few words.
“Hi everyone, I’m Santana Lopez-Pierce. Brittany was my best friend first and then she was my girlfriend. When I think about Brittany there are words that always stick out, amazing is one. She was an amazing dancer and an amazing friend always ready to go to the ends of the earth for her friends. Unashamed is another one. She was unashamed of who she was. I know that all of you will say that I need to go and find someone new but we all have one great love in our life and I’ve had mine and it was beautiful for the brief time I had it. Thank you.” Santana smiles silent tears flowing down her face as she realises it’s the first time she’s cried since Brittany died.
“Now, Santana has asked for this song to be played as you all reflect on Brittany’s life.” The minster says as piano chords of Songbird filter through the church hall, Santana tries to maintain composure as she thinks back on her relationship with Brittany fresh tear spill. Maribel leads Santana up to the plot as Finn, Puck, Mr. Shue, Mike, Sam and Blaine carry Brittany’s coffin up the hill.
“Goodbye, Britt-Britt.” Santana says as they lower the coffin into the ground. Santana can’t go back to New York so she stays in Lima crying for days before she can think about the real world she goes back to Sue and asks if the spot as her assistant is still available it is and Santana graciously takes it, it’s nice to be working with Sue they’re like each other in a lot of ways. After a months working with Sue abusing the Cheerios Santana goes and uses Brittany sperm and makes three beautiful kids spacing them apart two years each, her oldest Tommy Lucas Lopez-Pierce inherited Brittany’s golden hair and Santana’s skin colour the young boy is also hetero-chromatic bearing both Brittany’s blue on the right and Santana’s chocolate on the left Tommy was dancer like his Mama Brittany tall, lean and graceful sometimes Santana will watch him and mistake him for Brittany, her middle Daisy Maxine Lopez-Pierce inherited Santana’s dark hair colour and eyes but Brittany’s pale complexion, Daisy has pipes like her mami and loves to sing any chance she gets, her youngest Finn Noah Lopez-Pierce is strange mix of Brittany and Santana’s hair colour like Cruella De Ville Finn has Santana’s dark hair with a streak of blonde, Finn seems to been the best of Santana and Brittany skills wise he’s a fantastic dancer and a brilliant singer.
They know the story of their Mama Brittany from various sources including Santana herself, their Grandma and Grandpa and their massive collection of uncles and aunts. Santana never dates again no matter how many times her mother insist she should, she meant what she said at Brittany’s funeral, the blonde was her one great love and she’d never have enough. She was happy she had the kids. Eventually when she retired she was comfortable in bed when she saw Brittany again she still looks the same as she did all those years ago Santana meanwhile is now well into her sixties with grey hair and wrinkles. “Hey, babe.” Brittany smiles
“Britt?” Santana says. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to take you to heaven.” Brittany smiles
“Am I dead?” Santana asks as Brittany takes her hand and pulls her ghost out of her body, she’s young again in Heaven so that’s nice.
“Yeah, come on. Puck and Finn are waiting.” Brittany says as the light envelopes them
“What took you so long, Lopez?” Puck’s obnoxious voice barks
“Took the long way round, didn’t fancy getting shot of the sky.” Santana bites back
“Hey, Santana.” Finn smiles
“Hey, Finn.” Santana responds hugging the taller body
“Go talk to your wife, it’s been a long time.” Finn says
“Did you see the kids?” Santana asks taking Brittany’s hand
“Every second.” Brittany smiles, kissing Santana’s cheek. “It did make me sad that you never moved on though.”
“There was never anyone else for me beside you.” Santana says