Long time, sorry about that. Thanks to the reviews, favs and follows. Hope people are still reading this. If you want, check out my other story God Help Brittany Pierce if you love a little angst. A lot of smart and romantic Brittany in this one.

Hope you enjoy

Brittany had flitted around her house for the past three hours, doing and re-doing her hair before Kurt came back and did it again for her. He had also made her a purple dress for the town fair tonight, which she squealed at in delight before tackling Kurt into a hug.

They had both gotten ready, looking their finest for the townsfolk or Santana in Brittany's case, and had waited for the sun to set a little before leaving their abode and travelling the short distance to the thoroughfare.

Brittany was incredibly excited for tonight. She couldn't wait to see Santana, and to dance. She was dancing on the balls of her feet as she walked, arm in arm with Kurt past the winding side roads. She heard the commotion before she could see the fair. Loud noises as music was played, people were laughing and shouting. The noise was greater than she had heard before and as the main street came into sight, she stopped in her tracks.

The town had been lit up with arc lamps, a recently new development that Brittany had heard of but never seen before. They hung across the thoroughfare and back as long as the road stretched, giving the whole town a magnificent glow. The crossroads, where the saloon resided was covered in a large wooden stage, with a square portion. Brittany grinned from ear to ear as she looked over and saw many a couple dancing to the upbeat music playing.

Each side of the street was lined with food stalls, games, drinking stalls and some shops had set up tents, selling their products at a discount. Brittany couldn't look at everything fast enough, taking in sights and smells.

She noticed Mike at a stall, with steam billowing from top, as people passed, looking curiously at the delicacies he was cooking. Some sneered yet others looked incredibly intrigued and as one man decided to brave the food, others began swarming to try too.

Kurt and Brittany, without even realising came to the crossroads and over to the stall outside the saloon, where Puck was serving whiskey shots. This must've been the busy stall out of them all as Brittany watched the gleaming look Puck had plastered on his face as he stuffed the cash in the side tin. He looked up and waved as Brittany and Kurt came to a halt beside his stall.

"Kurt, Brittany. Nice to see you two again. Whiskey shot?" Puck asked as he poured two shots and held them out to the couple.

Kurt refused his as he looked around the fair to which Puck shrugged and shot it back himself. Brittany took hers and followed suit, grimacing at the harsh taste and the way it burned her heart. She looked around and inside the saloon, which was virtually empty, not managing to find those brown eyes she craved to gaze into.

Puck nudged her and pointed to the balcony. She looked up and took in the sight of five girls, dressed in various colours, gazing over town. Much like they had done the first day she arrived. She sought out a red dress and her breath hitched as her eyes connected with Santana's. The peacock feathers stood proudly at the back of her head as her hair was half clipped half down, tumbling past her shoulders, which were on display.

They smiled slightly at each other before Brittany could have sworn she saw Santana wink. She quickly averted her gaze, not realising the looks Kurt and Puck sent each other.

The trio turned as the doors to the saloon opened and Sebastian, along with Artie, Becky and Mercy came barrelling out of. Puck grinned as he took some money out of the tin.

"Great Seb, take over for a bit, I saw that Mrs Quinn McIntosh all alone over by the games tent." Puck winked at the group before heading off, not giving anybody a chance to scoff or reprimand him.

Sebastian chuckled as he stood behind the counter, sending greetings to Kurt and Brittany as the other three dispersed into the crowds. Kurt and Sebastian made small talk about their respectable businesses as Brittany looked to the balcony once again, disappointed to find it empty, though not for long as the saloon doors swung open once again and the brightly coloured ladies came out. Each chattering and laughing as what seemed to be the whole town stopped and stared.

Brittany grinned a little as Santana, out last, came down the stairs, gracefully tucking her hair behind her ear, and coming up to the stall. She took a shot of whiskey before greeting Sebastian and Kurt. She looked at Brittany, and shyly downcast her eyes, before blushing and looking back at the blonde.

"Miss Brittany, you look wonderful." Santana breathed out.

Brittany chuckled before glancing again at the attire Santana had on. "As do you Miss Santana."

They both stole shy glances at each other as they tried to integrate themselves into the group conversation. Brittany looked over as a new song was being played, which was not missed by Santana.

"Mr Kurt, do you mind terribly if I escort Brittany to the dance floor? I'm afraid she may burn a hole in the road, with the tapping and movement of her feet." Santana chuckled out, glancing once again to those blue orbs.

Brittany blushed and looked to Kurt, knowing she didn't need his permission, but enjoying the chivalry that Santana was displaying. Kurt laughed before nodding and turning back to Sebastian.

Santana let out a breath and took Brittany's arm, leading her up the two stairs, onto the wooden platform. Brittany assumed the correct position, tweaking Santana's slightly as she tapped into the beat and led them around, neither looking at anything but each other.

"So, you can actually dance. And rather well at that." Santana grinned, as Brittany twirled them around.

"Yeah, and you can be led around I see." Brittany smiled as Santana feigned a glower.

"Well don't go telling anybody that the mighty Santana was led around by another."

Brittany turned them once more. "I wouldn't dream of it."

They revelled in their little bubble as they spun and dipped through the music. At the end of the song, Brittany released her hold on the Latina and dipped into a bow, which made Santana blush even deeper as she went over and tried to get Brittany to stop.

"Britt," Santana whined, "stop acting like I'm a lady."

Brittany stood up, and held Santana's stare. Santana was shocked with the intensity that Brittany held in the gaze. Brittany swallowed before stating lowly, "you are a lady Santana. You are the prettiest, finest lady here."

Santana swallowed, shocked at the statement her friend had just made. She didn't even know what to say. She had never been called a lady before. Nor pretty, and certainly not fine. She was about to comment, before Brittany took her arm gently and led her over to the tent serving beverages and food.

Brittany filled to cups of water, handing one to the shorter girl, before leading her to the porch of the general store. They leant on the tying post and looked over the crowds.

Santana chuckled and Brittany gazed over to what was so funny. Smiling as she saw Sam and Mercy talking to each other, closer than friends as they stared into each other's eyes. She looked back at the brunette when she heard her sigh.

"What's wrong San?"

Santana watched as her friend laughed at probably some stupid joke Evans made. "It's just, not fair. Mercy deserves happiness, but because of something out of her control, she can never have it."

Brittany took note of the sadness in Santana's voice as she watched the two interact. She noted how happy the girl seemed, and how nervous Sam seemed. Understanding washed over her as she gazed at the contrast between the two.

She looked over to Kurt, who was now conversing with Burt and Blaine. He was standing next to the gelled haired boy, laughing at something. Burt hadn't realised that the two boys were too wrapped up in each other to look his way.

Brittany then sought out the mohawked man who had served them earlier. He was talking to her friend Quinn. She was a bit shocked to see Quinn conversing happily with him, wondering if this was a pairing she had missed completely, too wrapped up in her own friendship with the girl next to her, to notice what she had been missing.

All three couples had the same problem, Brittany thought. Society had dictated for them, that whatever they wanted to happen, couldn't. Her heart ached for them, and as she looked back at the girl who had her questioning everything about herself, her heart ached for herself and Santana too. Never would she know what it would be like for others to look at them and know they belonged to each other.

But Brittany was far too sanguine for something as silly as society to hold her down. She burnt her gaze into the Latina's, who looked back, confused at the passion Brittany was showing. "You know Santana, it isn't fair. And she does deserve happiness, we all deserve some happiness. But just because society thinks it's wrong, doesn't mean it is. And yeah, maybe, Sam and Mercy will never be allowed to be together like Rachel and Finn, or Quinn and Mr McIntosh, but that doesn't mean they can't be together. That they can't be happy. It isn't out of her control. Not really."

Once again, Brittany had left Santana speechless as she tried to dissect what the blonde was telling her. Was she talking about Mercy and Sam, or her an- no. Santana thought. Don't make this about yourself, of course she was talking about Sam and Mercy.

Santana swished the speech around in her head, picking out the key components. She smiled internally at the positive outlook Brittany had, she wished she could think like that too, but she wasn't convinced. "So what? They have to hide, be secret, for the rest of their lives? Terrified to be caught at every moment? Not much of a life."

Brittany rolled her eyes to herself. Of course Santana would find something negative about this. "But they'd be happy. They'd be together. And as long as they picked their allies smartly, they could have everything really. Wouldn't you rather be happy with someone, than playing it safe and never knowing what it would be like to hold them, to just exist with somebody?"

Santana thought it over. The blonde was so convincing, so passionate about this cause. Of course Santana would rather be happy, but she couldn't even bear to think of it. Knowing that the blonde couldn't hold her affections, she tried to block it out. She shrugged and returned to looking at the town.

Brittany sighed, knowing that she should just drop it. She slumped her shoulders slightly and looked around. Watching as Puck had disappeared into the shadows as Biff wound his arm around her wife, watched as Mercy stood by the dance floor, alone. Watched as Blaine danced with a girl, whilst Kurt spoke to Burt.

Maybe she had no idea what she was talking about.

/

The fair had been going on for a good few hours now. Brittany and Santana had rejoined their group which now consisted of the saloon workers, Kurt, Burt and Blaine, Finn and Rachel and much to the delight of Brittany and Puck, Holly and Quinn.

They spoke of their crafts, their jobs, the country's state of affairs and topics ranging from the best medicines to the best alcohol. Brittany enjoyed the little arguments and snarky comments that Puck and Santana threw at each other, trading barbs as if it were a sport.

She had accepted Kurt's offer to dance, both knowing how important it was to keep up appearances. They danced as they spoke of how much they enjoyed being here. They spoke of their friends, both noting the glee in which they spoke of two people in particular. They made plans for the coming months, things they want to do, aspirations in their jobs.

Brittany noted how nice it was to talk to Kurt, how much she really loved him. She thought of the secret he was hiding and wondered if it ever weighed him down to the point of exhaustion, she wanted to ask so bad, but didn't want to bring something up that could be painful to the man.

They had danced for two songs before heading back over to their group, who were know discussing the best places to hide around town, for what Puck described as a hump and dump, much to the disgust of Quinn who crinkled her nose each time he used those words, even though Brittany saw her eyes crease as her lips formed into the smallest of smiles. She watched as Santana rolled her eyes, but joined in the conversation anyway.

As they laughed and joked with each other, Sam emerged right next to Brittany, smiling at the group and smarming his long hair even further flat to his head. Quinn and Kurt grimaced at the greasy looking hair, before Sam turned to Kurt, nodding and looking at Brittany.

Sam cleared his throat. "Miss Brittany, may I have this dance?"

Santana scoffed and crossed her arms. "Where's Mercy, fish face?"

Sam glared at Santana for ruining his chance. "I don't know, I'm not her keeper."

Santana tutted before turning to Brittany, willing her to turn this loser down. Brittany stuttered and looked to Kurt, hoping and praying he would have some objection. Alas, he smiled and nodded. Brittany was so put on the spot, she just couldn't turn him down. She looked back and tightly smiled, offering her arm as Sam brightened up, smiling at Santana before leading the blonde away from the group.

Sebastian and Puck laughed, noting how the boy nearly swallowed his face from the outside in when he smiled. Santana couldn't even bring herself to laugh along as she watched with a heated glare as Sam spun and dipped Brittany to the music, much like they had done together earlier in the night.

Brittany kept tried to pick out Santana every time she was whirled around to face the group, but couldn't find the girl amongst her friends. Everytime Sam moved her around, she glanced at the vicinity, searching for those peacock feathers or the red dress, finding neither. She willed the song to be over and once the band finished playing, she almost ran from the platform, not bothering to stay for the bow Sam had begun to take.

"Are you looking for Santana?" A voice from behind had Brittany jumping and spinning around as she came onto the porch which she had shared with Santana earlier tonight. She gazed upon the tall figure of Finn Hudson, who dopily grinned and gave a small wave. At any other time, Brittany would have giggled and wave back, but all she could think about was Santana right now. She nodded as Finn pointed to the trail round the side of the store, which she knew led back to her house and eventually to the spot Santana had shown her earlier.

"She went that way, she had a bottle of whiskey or something, so she may not be in the best mood."

Brittany paid no attention to his statement, yelling gout a thanks as she tried her hardest to run in her new dress, hiking up the bottom as she jogged towards her house. She knew where Santana was and had to get to her.

She came to the tying post, and to Bonnie, her trusty steed, who grazed lightly on the patch of grass, clumped outside her gate. She scrambled onto the horse, not bothering with saddles as she took the reins and led her up the small hill, taking the same path that she had done before. She could feel her heart beating fast, thumping in her chest, and uneasiness spread in her stomach. She remembered how pissed Santana had been, and then how sad she looked when she took Sam up on the offer.

She never wanted to see sadness like that, etched upon her beautiful face again. She had no idea what she would say to the girl when she found her, but she would worry about that when the time came.

/

Santana sat, on the stump which overlooked the town. She watched the people dance and sing and be merry, oblivious to the turmoil happening above them. Santana's heart felt like combusting with pain as she watched Brittany dance with Sam.

It just reminded her of what she could never have. Like Brittany would ever want her. She never realised she had led herself away from town and here, with a whiskey bottle, until she was silently crying at her favourite spot. She hadn't even drunk anything. Just watching the liquid swish about as she thought back to how stupid she had been. How she had let herself feel for something.

She scoffed and tried to take the cork out of the bottle. She pulled until she stopped, hearing the soft noise of hooves along the ground. She stiffened her back, wiping her tears away and listening for more noises. She heard footsteps, but was too scared to turn around.

"Santana?"

She cringed and tried to get off any remaining tears trailing down her cheeks. How did Brittany find her?

"Santana? Are you- are you okay?" The voice was getting closer and she put the bottle down by her feet.

"Ye- yeah Brittany. I'm fine." Brittany cringed at the slight harsh tone Santana held.

Brittany came up and sat beside the girl, who was covering her face slightly with her hair. But it wasn't enough and Brittany saw the drying tracks that her tears had made. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, which was promptly shrugged off. She tried not to let that hurt, but it still stung through her core.

"Santana, what's wrong?"

Santana couldn't help herself as she let out a bitter chuckle. "Nothing, Brittany. You should go back to the fair."

Brittany shook her head and scooted closer to the girl. "No. Something is bothering you. Is it me? Was it Sam?"

Santana blanched at that name, giving away to Brittany that it was indeed that trouty mouth that had her so worked up. Brittany nodded once, getting up and kneeling in front of Santana. She grabbed the Latina's arms as the smaller girl tried to turn away. The hold Brittany had wouldn't allow her though and she sighed.

"So it's Sam. Because he asked to dance with me? Or because he didn't know where Mercy was?" Brittany was trying to wheedle the information out of her.

"Just leave it alone Brittany, go dance with guppy face, or your husband, or whoever." Santana tried facing away from the girl, but Brittany grabbed her chin and turned so that they were holding each other's gaze, neither daring to turn away now.

"I don't want to be at the fair San," Brittany spoke softly, shaking her head slightly, "I don't want to be dancing with Kurt, or Sam or any of those other people. I want to be here. Do you know why?"

Santana looks into Brittany's eyes and saw nothing but honesty, she shook her head, unable to voice her thoughts.

"Because, you're here. That's why." Brittany leaned in even closer to Santana, maintaining eye contact the whole time. Their breaths hit each other's faces as their noses nudged together.

"Brittany.." Santana whispered. They both closed their eyes as their noses slid against one another, cheeks touching. Brittany's heart tried to burst out of her chest when she heard Santana murmur her name.

Santana couldn't think of anything other than the lips so close to hers. The lips she dreams about on the girl she thinks about daily. She could do nothing but sit, still as the air around them. She wanted to close the gap, but she just couldn't. Couldn't take that chance with Brittany, even though the girl was here, with her instead of the million other places she could have been.

Brittany stood there, not moving as she willed Santana to close the gap, to show that she felt exactly what the blonde was feeling. But as their breaths continued to mingle, Santana showed no sign of closing the distance. Brittany did not allow herself to be perturbed by this. She wanted this, she wanted Santana to want this, and she had a feeling that she may just get it.

She squeezed her eyes shut and moved forward, feeling the plump lips she had spent so much of her time staring at pucker as they made contact. They both kept their lips still, slightly plumped out, touching but not moving as they both rejoiced in the feeling.

Their hearts reached out to one another, their brains short circuited. The electric current between them sparked and crackled around, creating a bubble of just them two. The fair forgotten, Sam forgotten, everyone forgotten.

Brittany pulled back slightly after a short while, and worried her lips between her teeth, trying to keep the essence of Santana on her. She wondered if she made the right call, if she didn't just ruin the whole dynamic they shared.

She opened her eyes to see those usually brown eyes, now black as the girl's pupils had blown up, staring right back at her. She looked down to those lips, and sighed in happiness as she noted the small smile tugging them upwards. She matched the smile as she nudged her nose against the Latina's, eyes dancing as she felt herself be overwhelmed by the happiness she felt.

Their faces touched for a long time, neither daring to move and break the connection they had undoubtedly just made tonight. Santana released a shaky breath and closed her eyes, letting herself feel the blonde on her. She didn't know if this was a dream she would wake up from, but if it was, she was going to enjoy it right until the end.

She opened her eyes, half expecting to be in her bed, and looked at the happiness in the eyes of the most beautiful woman she had ever met. She felt joyous at the fact that she had been the one to place that happiness there.

But then her smile slid off her face slowly, dying out as her own happiness ebbed away.

Brittany noticed the change and furrowed her brows, fully worrying about the cause of this sudden shift. "Santana, what is it?"

Santana couldn't keep the tears at bay. "You shouldn't want to be around me B. I'm bad news, only bad things happen to me."

Brittany sighed slightly and held the girl. She wiped her tears away and thought of how she could go about convincing this girl that she only deserved the best.

"I don't know what you've been through Santana. But I want to know. I want to know everything about you, in time. Because you may be the strongest person I know. And that is somebody I want in my life. You're not bad news, if anything, you're the best news I've ever come across. Because bad things have happened to you, yet here you are," Brittany placed a hand over Santana's heart, feeling the beating beneath her palm, "still beating. I've been through bad things too Santana, and because of that, I'm here. And so are you. Now we get to go through the good together. You deserve me, and I deserve you, and we deserve happiness. Just let yourself feel it San."

Santana tried to hold in her sobs as Brittany held her. She didn't know whether she was crying because of Brittany's heartfelt speech or because she finally felt a weight lift off of her.

"I want to. I want to feel it with you. I want to know everything about you too. I want to be someone you deserve." Santana murmured out, into Brittany's shoulder.

Brittany chuckled and wiped the last remaining tears away, before quickly pecking Santana's lips, tasting the saltiness of the tears. "You will, and as long as you're you, then you're already the someone I deserve, and want."

Santana smiled, feeling the truth behind the words, feeling better about herself than she had ever felt before. She felt like dancing and running and skipping. "Can we stay here, forever?"

Brittany let out a giggle, which melted Santana's heart. "Well, that won't work, because you're coming around for a meal tomorrow night. But we can stay at McKinley forever, if that is what you wish."

Santana grinned, "Oh I am, am I? Sounds perfect Brittany. Maybe afterwards, you could come to the saloon and watch the show we are putting on."

Brittany wiggled her eyebrows, "Why of course Miss Santana, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Brittany got up and sat back down next to Santana, who shifted in her seat and leant into the blonde. Brittany stroked her finger up and down the bare, tanned arm, which twitched everytime she moved over a certain spot.

They sat like that and watched as the fair wound down, not caring about anything but the presence of the other, as they savoured the feel of each other's body's.

Each feeling content and at peace, the first time either of them had felt that in a long time.

Let me know what you think, what you like, what you didn't or any comments on the story at all. Thanks!