A/N: So this is probably the only note that I will have at the beginning of a chapter, and it is going to be a little long. Just bear with me!

This is my AU story. This is a story that has been floating around in my head for years. Honestly, it was never going to be written. It wasn't until I put Brittany and Santana into the main roles that I realized how perfect they were for the story and it gave me the motivation to actually write it (with some minor changes, but it works better). This is a very personal story for me, and I am honestly a little nervous about sharing it with you all. I know I am definitely not the greatest writer, so I hope I did my vision justice in your opinion.

Since this is AU, don't expect much of Glee to make an appearance. I obviously kept some character traits and some other bits from the show, but these are pretty much mostly my own characters. There are no other Glee characters in the story, although there are mentions of a few of them, but only one of them plays any significant role to the story. Having said that, Brittany and Santana's families and backgrounds are completely different than from the show.

I sincerely hope you all enjoy this story, and please let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

I didn't even know why I was here.

Well, actually I did. It was a horrible day to be alone. And despite moving to the Columbus area to start a job in the city a little over a year ago, I still hadn't really made any friends. I had some people I kind of talked to at work every once in awhile but that was really about it.

But what else was new? Making friends had never really been easy for me unless I had someone to help guide me through the whole meeting new people process and finding things in common to do with said people.

I hadn't had somebody in my life that could do that for a little while now. Since before I left Massachusetts, where I had lost the few friends I did have.

Which led me to be where I was at the moment.

My coworker Melanie had been raving about this new bar downtown. I had overheard her talking to another coworker, Tim, about the place that had opened last month. She said that it was really laid back, even though it looked pretty upscale, and it had a good atmosphere and strong drinks. I didn't want to go home to nobody again, particularly today. So I found myself subconsciously driving over to the bar once my work day was finished.

It wasn't even like the bar was really on my way home or anything. And I don't even drink alcohol.

I felt so stupid stepping into the swanky bar by myself. At least it could maybe look like I was meeting somebody, but if I hung around too long it would look like I got stood up. And then I would just look even more stupid.

I considered turning around and leaving almost as soon as I walked in. I was so uncomfortable and I felt so out of place.

But the thought of going home was enough to keep me headed toward the gleaming wooden surface of the bar. It was still fairly early in the day, so the bar wasn't too crowded yet. It was only Tuesday, but I was sure the after work crowd would start filing in soon. I was grateful that there were empty seats at the bar.

I hoped I could have a drink (non-alcoholic, of course) and slip out before business picked up too much. I wasn't too fond of crowds in general without someone with me, much less being somewhere I had never been before with a bunch of people I didn't know.

Seriously, why had I decided to come here? I pushed myself forward and reached the bar.

The bartender smiled at me as I removed my jacket and took a seat on a stool. He was cute and I could tell he found me attractive. I knew I wasn't bad looking, though I was self-conscious about my appearance. My blonde hair and blue eyes caught peoples' attention, but my general awkwardness in conversation tended to put people off rather quickly.

I had learned to get used to it a long time ago. Mostly.

I think he was a little disappointed when I only gave him a polite smile back and asked for a Coke. I hung my purse and jacket on the back of the seat and settled in, trying to force myself to relax. At least I was dressed appropriately for the bar. My tight dress pants, low heels, and blouse fit in with the other professionals that clearly made up the clientele.

The bartender returned with my drink quickly and, after a half-hearted attempt to draw me into some sort of conversation and my utter lack of interest in keeping a dialogue going, he moved off to the other end of the bar where a couple of women in business suits had taken up residence. I reached into my purse and discreetly took my pill. Then, after scanning the bar for anything interesting, turned myself back and paid attention to my drink.

I sat there, sipping my soda and wallowing in my own misery. I told myself that I would just finish my drink, leave an extra tip for the bartender for being a bitch to him, and then head home. It was definitely worse for me sitting here surrounded by strangers and feeling completely lonely than going home and curling up in bed and crying myself to sleep.

I thought that moving closer to my family would help me. I had been struggling for the past couple of years. It started to affect my work, and I wasn't happy at the company I was at anymore in Massachusetts. I had started there shortly after I graduated with my Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering from MIT. It was a great place to work, and I was there for a year and a half before the accident.

After that, I took a little time off. Even after I went back, I lacked enthusiasm for being there and I ended up missing more days. I didn't like being in Massachusetts anymore. I didn't have anything to stay for, especially after I had withdrawn so far into myself that the 'friends' I had made there gave up on me.

After another year of forcing myself through that, I decided to move back to Ohio. My parents had stayed in Lima, but I didn't want to move that close to them. I figured I could live a couple of hours away and they would be nearby if I needed them. Mostly I just needed a change of scenery.

I ended up finding a really good job at a company in Columbus. The pay wasn't as great as where I was before, but it still paid well. I eagerly took the position and moved into a nice little house in the suburbs. I think it was the same town where the gay kid's boyfriend in high school had gone to his prep school. It was a nice little area, and the drive wasn't too far to work.

The move helped some. I wasn't as miserable as I had been back in Massachusetts. I was happier at my new job and my new home was comforting. Being able to see my parents a little more often was nice, but I wasn't all that close to them to begin with so it wasn't like I saw them all of the time. And their company didn't really cheer my mood up that much, either. I had really just hoped the fresh start would maybe spur me into meeting new people and making friends.

My coworkers were nice, but apart from the initial attempts to get to know me when I first started a little over a year ago, no one had taken much of an interest in befriending me. Again, it wasn't like I made too much of an effort to get out of my comfort zone and hang out with them. I was really not good with people in general. Small talk was hard for me, and it took a strong person to put up with me until I became comfortable enough to really converse with them.

Needless to say, there weren't many people who made the effort to do that. That's one of the reasons why I was so lonely. I didn't really want to think about the other at the moment.

I had finished half of my drink already and was too busy thinking to myself that I didn't even notice somebody had slid up next to me until they spoke.

"I don't like seeing a beautiful woman look so sad," they said.

I turned, a little startled, to look into soulful brown eyes. I took note of the dark hair, naturally tanned skin, and full lips turned up into a slight smirk. I blushed a little at having someone's attention on me.

"Can I buy you a drink to maybe cheer you up?"

"No thanks, I can't drink," I declined with a polite smile to ensure there were no hard feelings.

"Then why are you in a bar?" The question was asked with a slight look of confusion and a little laugh.

I found the question to be a little out of line. It honestly wasn't anyone's business why I was here. My discomfort for the question must have shown on my face because before I could even say anything, a look of horror came over the other person's face.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry. That wasn't right of me to ask," they said, apologetic. Then they said quietly and a little uncomfortably, "But don't you think maybe a bar isn't the best place for you to be if you are struggling with your problem?"

I could feel my face scrunch up in confusion. What the hell was that question about? I looked at the other person, who looked back at me with concern and just a hint of pity. All of a sudden it hit me.

"No! I'm not an alcoholic or anything," I clarified quickly, offended yet wanting to make sure nobody left thinking that I had a drinking problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not that this stranger really deserved me to explain anything, but I decided to tell at least the partial truth. "I just never could really stomach the taste of alcohol."

A sheepish look came over the other person's face. I had to admit it was kind of cute and I softened a little. "Now I just feel like an idiot," they said, clearly embarrassed. "I am so sorry for assuming that you had a problem. Can I at least buy you another soda to make up for it?"

I hesitated. I wasn't planning on staying past my first drink, but the whole point of being here was to maybe not be alone. If I stayed and this person stuck around, clearly I wouldn't be alone. It seemed likely they would stay, and I had to admit that the fact that someone was actually talking to me made me feel a little better.

"I promise I will try not to put my foot in my mouth again. Please just let me prove to you that I am not a complete ass." This sentence was said with a flirtatious grin, though I could see the hint of genuine pleading in the brown eyes.

"Okay," I conceded, finally giving in. "But just one Coke."

"Great! My name is Gabe, by the way," he said with another grin.

"Brittany," I replied, smiling a little back.

I took in his features once again. He was incredibly attractive. He looked like he was maybe a few years younger than my 27 years. He was wearing dark slacks and a nice grey button up shirt that fit him well. It was evident he had a nice body and kept himself in good shape. His hair was a little longer but combed back and orderly. He had a hint of scruff, but that only added to his masculine appearance.

I could definitely admit that he would make most girls swoon. I would usually be a blushing, shy, incomprehensible mess around a guy as good looking as Gabe. But today I was just not really in the mood for it.

At least it meant I could handle a polite conversation and maybe he wouldn't run off due to my awkwardness.

I was just hoping that I could maybe not feel so alone by talking with Gabe for a few minutes. He seemed pretty genuinely remorseful for making a fool out of himself, and it made me actually more comfortable around him since his looks almost made him too perfect. It showed he could be human.

Gabe flagged down the bartender and ordered another beer for himself and a second soda for me. While the bartender got us our drinks, Gabe turned back to me.

"So, are you waiting for someone?" I could tell that he was trying to feel out if I was single without wanting to offend me if I had possibly been stood up. It was kind of cute the way he was being careful after he had already put his foot in his mouth.

I smiled to give him some reassurance that his question was okay. Even though the answer to the question made me a little sad.

"No, I'm not waiting on anyone," I said, straightforward in my answer. "I just heard about this place from someone at work and I didn't want to go home quite yet, so I figured I would stop in and check it out."

"Even though you don't drink," he said with a twinkle in his eye. The corners of his mouth twitched a little in amusement as the bartender set our beverages down in front of us. Gabe paid for our drinks but didn't take his attention away from me.

I rolled my eyes, although couldn't stop the wry grin that pulled at my lips. "Yes, even though I don't drink." My smile faded. "I just didn't want to be home alone right now," I nearly whispered.

I saw sadness flash across his face briefly before he replaced it with smile clearly meant to try and cheer me up. "Well, you don't have to be alone," Gabe said playfully. "I am more than happy to hang out with you. The person I was supposed to meet is running late, so we can keep talking until she gets here if you want."

I was almost a little hurt to hear that he was supposed to be meeting someone. I didn't like the idea of him flirting with me if he was seeing someone else. I don't like cheating at all. But, I didn't know his story or who he was supposed to meet, so I didn't want to judge him quite yet. But the thought of someone just trying to pick me up because their date was late was kind of off-putting.

"Oh, I don't want to keep you from your date," I said truthfully and a little nervously, ready to grab my purse and leave if some angry woman was going to come after me.

"No, it isn't like that," he began, then stopped looking bashful. "I actually would like to keep you company if you wouldn't mind. I totally am not trying to get in your pants or anything."

I studied him for a moment, debating on whether or not he was telling the truth. I definitely wasn't looking for a hookup. I honestly wasn't even looking to pick up a potential date or anything. I just wanted to not feel alone tonight.

He looked back at me without any hesitation and I could see the honesty in his eyes. He may have come over with the intention of hitting on me to begin with, but I could tell that he now legitimately just wanted to keep me company.

Apparently I had looked even more pathetic than I thought. The thought was not comforting.

I smiled gratefully at him. "I would like the company," I said quietly. "Thanks."

He gave a sweet, almost innocent smile. It was so much different than the cocky grin he had given when he first talked to me. It tugged a little at my heart. If things were different, I maybe could see myself giving in to a date with him.

"Why don't we move to a table so we can talk a little better?" Gabe asked.

I nodded in reply. We grabbed our drinks, and I gathered my jacket and purse, and we moved over to a table towards the middle of the room. The place was getting a little more crowded. It was around 5:30 now, so the people getting off of work looking to relax after a long day were starting to fill the place up.

I was glad to have some company now that there were more people around. If Gabe hadn't talked to me, I definitely would have left. Being there alone would have made me way too uncomfortable. At least it looked like I had a date or something now and didn't appear to be a complete loser.

"So Brittany," he began after we sat down, "do you work around here?"

"Not too far from here, actually," I said. "I work a few miles away."

"What is it that you do for a living?"

I smiled, legitimately pleased at the thought of my job. "I am a biomedical engineer," I replied.

His eyes widened a little. I couldn't quite tell if it was from surprise or if he was impressed.

"Wow," he said. "That is really cool. Do you like make artificial hearts or things like that?"

Okay, clearly he was impressed. I mean, I loved my job and thought it was pretty cool, but it wasn't as amazing as people thought. I wasn't making artificial organs or coming up with ways to regenerate lost limbs or anything.

I laughed a little. "No, I am not working on anything like that at the moment," I explained. "Right now I am mostly working on a device to improve on the current insulin pumps for diabetics."

"That's amazing," Gabe said in awe. "I bet you can make so many things that can save peoples' lives or just improve their day-to-day quality of life."

I blushed a little at his praise, but shook my head. "I don't do that many amazing things," I said shyly. "I've only been working in the field for a few years really, and I just started at my company about a year ago. So this is the first big project I've really been working on."

"Still," he said, unwilling to diminish his amazement of my job, "the kinds of things you can do in your work can make such a great impact for a lot of people. I respect that."

I looked down at the table, feeling my blush burn a little brighter. I was a little uncomfortable at having someone give me so much genuine praise. "Thanks," I told him quietly as the corners of my mouth turned up in a small smile.

When I looked back up he was looking at me with a real smile. It was one that made his eyes scrunch a little and dimples appear in his chiseled cheeks. I really could see myself hanging out more with him if he continued to be so nice. I honestly could use a friend after so long without anyone.

"I'm just telling the truth," he admitted with a little shrug. "I like to be honest, particularly when being honest makes a pretty girl smile."

I laughed then. "See, when you say things like that I can't help but think that you are trying to pick me up," I teased. I was definitely starting to feel more comfortable around him if I could joke around with him like that.

His cocky grin came back. "It usually works for me," he joked. "But for some reason I don't think I have much of a shot with you tonight."

I faked a look of pity to him as I tilted my head and shrugged my shoulders up. "Sorry."

He mocked being in pain as he brought his hands up to his chest. "Ouch." Then he chuckled. "I guess I will just have to live with the pain."

"Something tells me you will get over it pretty quick," I told him wryly.

He winked at me. "I guess I will have to settle for being your friend," he said cheerfully.

Even though he was so nonchalant about saying he would be my friend, it made a big impact on me. I hadn't had anyone offer friendship like that in a long time. I missed having someone I could actually really talk to. And, surprisingly, Gabe seemed like he would listen to what I had to say with an open ear. I really could see him being a great friend.

I could feel emotion start to clog my throat, and I had no idea what kind of look passed over my face but it must not have been great. Gabe's smile faded and he looked at me with concern. I fought off the stinging in my eyes at how genuinely he seemed to care about how I was feeling.

"Hey, are you okay? I didn't mean to upset you or anything," he said, reaching over and putting his hand over my own.

"No, it's okay," I said, finally getting control over myself. I smiled at him, my cheeks bunching up as happiness actually started to trickle into my chest for the first time in years. "I think I would really like to be your friend."

Several emotions flickered in his eyes. I thought I made out sadness and something else that may have been pity before kindness took over. He smiled back softly and looked into my eyes sincerely. "I think I would really like to be your friend, too," he told me. His smile grew. "You're lucky I have an open position for a new friend. And since you seem so nice, I will forego the traditional paper application and do the interview right now."

I chuckled and shook my head. "Well thanks so much," I said sarcastically. "Will you need a blood sample and urine sample as well?"

He pretended to ponder that for a moment. "I think we could just get by with the blood sample. But maybe we could skip that if you get through the interview with flying colors."

"Then I guess I better hope that I brought my A-game tonight," I said.

"First question: do you live in the city?"

"No, actually," I answered. "I live in Westerville."

His brows scrunched as he sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Oooh, that's a strike," he teased. "The suburbs are not something I like to deal with."

"Hey now," I started, acting offended, "I don't live too far away from Polaris which is technically part of Columbus. So it isn't like I live out in the middle of nowhere."

He tilted his head slightly as he considered what I said. "Okay, you have a point. It isn't too bad, so I won't hold that against you." I nodded, pleased with his decision. "Question two: do you like sports?"

I rolled my eyes. Such a typical guy question. "Playing sports or watching them?" I asked.

"Either," he replied.

"Well, apart from the soccer and t-ball I played when I was little, I was never too into playing sports," I replied. "I mostly danced growing up."

His eyes lit up a little at my confession. "So you're a dancer?"

"I was," I said with a nod. "I still dance a little bit, but not as much as I used to."

"We may have to go out sometime and see how good you are," he said with a smile.

I laughed, actually a little delighted that I may have someone to go dancing with again. "Maybe," I told him, not wanting to reveal how much I actually would like that.

"I'm sure I could convince you one day," he said with confidence. "But you didn't answer if you liked to watch sports yet."

I shrugged. "I do, but I'm not huge into it," I said honestly.

"What sports do you typically watch?"

"Well I mostly end up watching football. I am not a fan of basketball or golf or anything like that," I said, my nose scrunching up in dislike. "I don't like watching baseball on TV but I don't mind going to a game in person. And I kind of like hockey."

He suddenly grinned. "Not a bad answer."

I smiled a little but my eyebrows kind of scrunched in confusion due to his sudden happiness with my answer.

"Okay then," I said hesitantly.

"So question three: what's your favorite kind of movie?" He obviously wasn't going to explain his enthusiasm for my last answer.

"That's impossible to answer," I said, moving on. "I like pretty much any kind of movie. Whether it's action, drama, romance, horror, romantic comedy, Disney, foreign, whatever, I like all genres."

He looked impressed by that. "That is an excellent answer. You get bonus points for that."

"I'm thrilled," I deadpanned.

He laughed. "Okay, question four: what's your favorite kind of food?"

"That's a tough one, too," I replied. "I would have to say Italian. I like pasta and bread a lot. But I do love a good burger, too."

"That's kind of funny," he started to say, his lips turned up in an amused smile.

He was about to open his mouth to speak again when he was interrupted by someone behind me.

"I see you waste no time in finding other company, Gabe," the woman said dryly. "I'm only a little late and you've already picked up a woman instead of waiting for me."

I watched Gabe's eyes light up and a grin take over his mouth as he looked at the woman behind me. I felt really uncomfortable now. I shouldn't be here when he was supposed to meet someone else. He clearly really liked this woman. And she didn't sound too happy about me being here. I needed to get out of there before things got even worse and this woman wanted to beat me up for stealing her date.

I quickly stood up, not noticing Gabe's surprised look, as an apology was already rushing out of my mouth.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your date," I hastily said. "I can go now and leave you two alone."

I turned as I spoke and for the second time tonight my eyes met soulful brown orbs. Only this time, my heart fluttered in my chest and any additional words I might have said died in my throat as I froze completely. I honestly couldn't even remember if I was going to say anything else. My mind had basically just stopped working.

The eyes stared back at me, a little wide as they locked with mine. Neither of us spoke as we looked at each other. Strange feelings rushed through my chest, leaving me confused and flustered. No one had ever affected me this way before. And I didn't know if my heart was ever going to pick up its normal rhythm again.

A/N 2: So there is chapter 1! I set the story in Columbus and the suburbs since I used to live there and am familiar with it. Most of the places I will mention are real. So what do you guys think so far? What do you think of Brittany? What about Gabe?