AN:Disclaimer I do not own any characters from Glee.

This is it.

Chapter Twenty Two/Part Two:

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Falling through my apartment door with paint cans and my messenger bag, I nearly kissed the ground. I hauled my messenger bag over my shoulder and dumped it onto the couch and dropped the cans in the corner.

After four days I realized that I seriously underestimated the amount of work my job required. To make things worse, it seemed like everyone was testing out the new girl. Like they had to find the limit of favors that would send me over the edge and into the office with a semi-automatic rifle. I had hours of papers to look over, and it wasn't even Friday yet.

If the pay wasn't good I would of burnt the building to the ground. However, it was great so for the last few days I've left my matchsticks at home. It had pretty good benefits too, health and all that, and if I proved myself, good chances of moving up. To be clear, I wasn't going to work every day, I was dominating it. Couch Sylvester at least ingrained a ridiculous work ethic in me.

I kicked off my shoes in the general area of the door, and shuffled into the kitchen for a snack. Maybe a beer. I stocked the cabinets and fridge with everything I could think of yesterday, but I was living off paper plates until Brittany showed up with real dinner ware.

I ripped open the box to the cereal bars and grabbed a beer before sitting on the couch to stare out the window for the next few hours. My computer was sitting on a coffee table Jennifer and I found at a thrift store a few blocks from my apartment. It wasn't pretty, but it was something to prop my feet on. I hit play on my itunes and relaxed into the couch letting my hair down and sinking my teeth into the only solid food I've had all day. The combo wasn't exactly dinner material, but I was too exhausted to stand on my feet to make a proper dinner.

The music floated around the room, and I sang along with it between gulps and bites. The song was starting the breakdown into my favorite part when there was a knock at the door. I had the mind to ignore it, but it was probably someone important. Or André who I was supposed to be friendly towards, and that was still tittering on awkward.

I stood up and brushed off some crumbs from my blouse, and looked through the peephole. I didn't see anyone, but the knocking was still there. Whoever it was had a severe height disadvantage, or wanted to kill me.

To be safe, I left the chain lock in place on the door. I didn't know of any midget serial killers, but I haven't met everyone in the building.

I opened the door a few inches, and slammed it shut immediately.

"Santana that is no way to greet an old friend!"

"Get away from my door Berry!"

"I will do such thing. Though I am here upon my own pretenses, I also have been recruited to check up on you. So with direct orders from Brittany, let me inside."

"Good try. Britt would never send you to check up on me. You've been stalking me. Now I'm calling the police, John Hinckley."

"I came with food."

It wasn't as much as me that made the decision to let Rachel in as it was my stomach. With the mention of real food I slid the chain lock open, letting it clatter against the wooden door. I didn't actually open the door for her, so I stepped back to the couch to pick up my beer. This way when I wanted her to leave I could tell the cops she entered without consent.

After a few moments I heard Rachel test the door, and finally push through.

"Brittany said if you wouldn't open to bring something for you to eat. It seems she knows where your rationale lies." She patted the bag, which I guess had whatever she brought with her, and then eyed the beer in my hand. "Santana please don't tell me you've turned to alcohol in your time of stress."

"How'd you get in here anyway?"

"My visit was a surprise, so I did have to wait around a bit before I convinced someone to let me in. Really Santana, you should not turn to drink. It's unhealthy."

I made a mental note to put up a poster of Berry that said something like shoot on sight.

"What'd you bring?" I ignored her latter question and focused on the grumbling in my stomach. The only thing that stupid snack bar did was make me more hungry.

"Tofu burgers. I know you prefer meat, but since I will be joining you for dinner I figured that cheese on yours could sate your cravings for something a bit more flavorful, if I do remember the last time I prepared a meal of which you attempted to eat, you said that my tofu was bland as well as my sex life, which I'm still a bit concerned over how one leaps from food to sex."

"Whatever." I took the Tupperware full of blights against nature from her and brought it into the kitchen, while Rachel took off her coat. "I don't have real plates, so you'll have to deal."

"That's not a problem. I remember when I moved into my first apartment. I wouldn't want to use the term living in poverty, but it was similar affair."

I scoffed, and reheated the burgers in the microwave. There was no way I was eating those things cold. "Do you drink? Or do you want water."

"For the sake of comradery I'll take a beer, though I don't suppose you have any wine?" I did have a bottle of red wine, but that was for when Brittany finally arrived. I wasn't going to share that with Berry, so I got two more beers from the fridge.

"Thank you Santana. I see you've been doing your best with the apartment." Rachel eyed the bare walls of the living room and dining room. "The kitchen looks homey."

"Yeah, well none of Brittany's stuff is here yet. It'll look better after she fixes it." I took the plates and napkins to the small dining table and motioned for Rachel to sit.

"May I say that I would have never thought that you would be so easy to domesticate. Truly I thought that you would have fought tooth and nail."

I rolled my eyes, and brought my bottle up for a cool drink. The stupid tofu cheese burgers were actually really good. I had another mouthful when I noticed that Rachel was neither eating nor was she talking.

"What's wrong?"

"Santana… Is that… Are you engaged?" Rachel pointed at the ring on my hand with her mouth agape.

This was something I have yet to tire of. My ring was awesome, and I could only think that parading the girl attached to it would increase my pleasure. "Yes."

"How?" She tossed down her napkin and was trying to climb over the table to get a closer look.

"Well you see when you're not completely hideous, people fall in love with you and give you very nice things in turn that you promise to have sex with them a regular basis."

"No I mean, Brittany proposed to you? When?"

"In the car ride to the airport."

"That was impulsive of her, but fitting. Let me extend my congratulations. When will the wedding be?"

I took another drink from my beer, just so I could remember to use my inside voice. "Take a quick look around Berry. Does it look like planning a wedding in on the top of my to do list?"

"I suppose not." I watched her nervously toy with her drink before speaking again. "I know we're not the best of friends, but I would like to offer myself as entertainment for the festivities."

"At my bachelorette party?" The opportunity was too good to pass up, and her sputtering was fantastic. Though I wouldn't deny that in the appropriate outfit and under the right lightening Rachel could pass for a pretty good striper. It'd probably take an entire roll of ducktape to keep her quiet, I wasn't sure of the market for singing strippers.

"What? No. No. No, I mean the reception. What's a wedding reception without a wonderful band, and by band I mean background to my vocals."

"We'll see. I'm pretty sure Britt may want the Muppets to perform, but I'll keep you in mind."

"All joking aside Santana, you're very lucky. Brittany is a very beautiful, caring person, I'm happy for the both of you."

I rolled my eyes and shoved the last of my burger-food thing, into my mouth. "Thanks. You finished?"

I leaned over the table to take her unwanted food, and tossed the plates in the trash and the untouched beer back into the fridge, I would just drink that later. "May I ask for a tour?"

"Yeah sure." I walked around the apartment with her. She pointed out her opinions and did my best not to voice mine. Brittany did send her here so I could expect that she would be reporting back to Britt later, so I played nice. Or as nice as I could be, the beer was helping.

Rachel was quick to say that I needed more things on the walls. But I didn't want to put something up that Brittany didn't like. The few pictures I did have weren't very Brittany-ish. And what if Brittany had been spending all her spare time thinking up a master plan for the apartment, I wouldn't want her to be upset that I already put stuff up. She already had me go to the hardware store and buy paint for the living room. Which I needed to get done soon.

After the short tour was completed I pushed Rachel towards the door. "Well it was just great for you to come and annoy me Berry, but I'm sorry to say that my hobbit limit has been reached."

"I would be offended if I was not under time restraints myself. Jessie is coming over to run through lines with me. But I will be back Santana, or should I start calling you Mrs. Pierce so that I am in practice for when it is official?"

"Just get the hell out of my apartment before I throw you out." I shoved her coat and bag into her chest and pushed her out the door.

"Very well, enjoy your evening Santana." Once she disappeared behind the door I made sure to turn every lock so she wouldn't barge back in. I stopped in the kitchen and picked up Rachel's unopened beer and went back to the couch to start on my work.

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I was nearly done when my phone chimed, showing Brittany's face on the screen. Dropping my papers and pushing my computer away from me I relaxed into the cushions and answered the call.

"Hey Britt."

"Hi Santana, how was your day? It's late, you didn't call. Do you got a lot of work again?"

"Yeah, lots of paper pushing." The clock on my computer told me that it was an hour past the usual time I called Brittany before bed. "But you'll never guess who visited me today."

"Oh… who?" Her voice hitched over the phone, it was her lying cue.

"Rachel Berry."

"That's weird. You were nice right?"

"Oh I was very nice, sweeter than honey. But I wonder how she knew were our apartment was. You don't think she is stalking us, do you?" I kicked my feet up on the coffee table and waited for her lame excuse.

"No, she probably… Kurt maybe?"

"Yeah, no. She said someone else told her." I had a smug grin, Britt was terrible at lying to me.

"Fine!" She was just too easy for me to break down. "I told her to go and talk to you!"

"Why the hell would you do that Britt? I thought you loved me!"

"Of course I love you, that's why I sent her. You always sound so lonely on the phone. And Andy isn't really hanging out with you, and you don't know anyone else, and she's kinda… not too… bad."

"Brittany I'm fine. I got a lot of things to distract myself with." The stack of papers probably grown during the past few minutes, and the paint cans and rollers were sitting across the room. I had plenty to do. It just so happened that I enjoyed whining too.

"Sorry, I just thought that you'd like the company." Brittany's voice deflated over the speaker.

"The only company I want to be in is yours."

"I'll be there soon honey. Garfunkel misses you too. See-" I could hear what I assumed was fur rubbing against the phone and then a loud rumbling. "She misses her nap buddy."

"Are you sure she's up for that car ride?"

"Yeah I got a bunch of pills for her. Remember that time you stole those pills from your dad that made us really tired and we tried stay up and have sweet lady love'n, but we just ended up falling asleep in my living room?"

"Uh, yeah. Your mom was pissed." The image of Mrs. Pierce glaring at me while I tried to stumble away from her daughter has yet to leave my mind. At least I passed out before I got either of us completely naked.

"Yeah that sucked." Brittany started off with a giggle and ended it as a long yawn.

"You sleepy baby?"

"Yeah, I feel like I need ten of me. Packing, work, mom, packing, job hunting, it's wearing me out." I could hear her exhaustion over the phone, I could see it in our skype calls.

"I'm sorry I'm not helping."

"It's alright, you're fixing up the apartment." It was just a reminder that I wasn't in this alone, I had a partner to share the work with. And I don't think I'd be able to do it without her. I just hoped that I wouldn't ruin it for her.

"Yeah I got the paint you wanted for the living room today. It'll look better when the walls aren't all white." Brittany picked out a dark red, which was surprising, but then she wanted to do the bedroom in bright yellow. We were in the middle of a negotiation on that matter.

"Hmmm. I'm sleepy. I gotta get up early tomorrow."

"Ok, I'll talk to you later baby." I sat up a bit, stretching out my back.

"Alright. Love you."

"I love you too, night." I tossed my phone on the table and started to turn off the lights around the apartment before going to bed myself.

After going through my nightly routine, I got to do my new addition which was becoming my favorite activity. Sitting on the edge of our bed, I slid off my engagement ring and sat it on the glass dish on my nightstand. Light from the lamp danced through the jewels, sparkling like the blue eyes of my fiancée.

Just like the last three night I turned the lamp off with a grin and pulled the covered over me. The coolness of the pillow hit my head and I sent off the only prayer I had these days.

Make it two weeks already.

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I wasn't late. But I wasn't on the time schedule I wanted for today.

Brittany was due within the hour and I was still four blocks away. Meaning I had virtually no time to get ready. She had been texting me all day, giving me status updates on her progress. Or whatever caught her eye on the side of the highway. Or a particularly funny joke Garfunkel told her, which is impressive, seeing that the cat is knocked out with kitty tranquillizers.

I stopped at a Chinese place a block back and picked up something reminiscent of Brittany's usual order. Seeing that we were probably going to be spending the next few hours carrying in boxes and unpacking, I don't think we'd have time to stop and make dinner.

And that would also take away from my precious sexy times.

With that in mind, I pushed myself to hurry along the busy Friday night streets. Every person seemed to know exactly what I was trying to do, and made it their mission to block me. Either that or I was being more pushy than normal. It was probably the latter because I don't remember getting that many glares normally. I thought that the fall weather was supposed to make people more friendly.

Brittany would just think everyone's more fluffy.

Finally I jogged up to the old brick of our apartment complex. The plastic take out bags wrapped around my wrists made it almost impossible to find my keys hidden deep within my purse. I had hoped that one of my neighbors would open the door for me, but no one was entering or leaving the building. Before I got super frustrated I sat the take out bags on the sidewalk and pulled out my key to unlock the door.

My foot kept the door open while I turned around to pick up the bags to find them in the deft hands of the woman I've been dreaming of for two long weeks.

"The ground doesn't look very clean." Brittany stood holding our dinner, complete with a bashful smile and shivering in her light jacket.

I could feel my smile cracking as I jumped into her arms, letting the door fall shut. "Brittany!"

The bags hit my back as she circled her arms around me, squeezing me tightly. "Hey honey." Her nose was red and her cheeks were flushed from the cold wind. I told her to dress warm.

"You cold baby?" I questioned while tilting my head to press a quick kiss on her cold lips. I felt her nod and press herself against me. "Come on up and see your apartment."

"Our apartment." Brittany gave me a quick peck and hopped away from me towards the curb. "Let's get sleepy head upstairs too."

I don't know how I didn't noticed her car parked directly in front of the building. I must of been super focused on getting inside to not see the white car sitting on the edge of the street. It was a miracle that she got the space, it was going to make moving everything upstairs a lot easier.

With Garfunkel asleep in her carrier and tucked under her arm, I led Brittany up the steps and to our apartment door.

"Welcome home baby." I pushed the door open and ushered Brittany into the room.

"Wow."

Brittany twirled in the center of the living room. The walls were now painted red like she wanted, there were even a few musical posters hanging up- Berry insisted and it didn't look too bad, and I found a large mirror to hang on the wall dividing the living room from the kitchen. It wasn't much, but it was an improvement.

"You like it?" I slipped my keys into my pocket, watching her take in every detail of our home.

"I love it." Brittany grabbed my hand and dragged me down the hallway into our bedroom. "You did a great job Santana."

A wave of relief flooded me. I had been so worried about whether or not she would like it, and now with her ever growing smile I realized that I never had anything to worry about.

Brittany took off her light jacket and sat it on the bed next to the pet carrier, and then carefully pulled Garfunkel out, laying the sleeping cat on her jacket.

"We'll leave her in here while we bring in stuff." Brittany stroked over the cat's back, and then pulled me through the door and back into the living room.

"Why'd you leave your jacket? Won't you get cold?" Brittany rolled her eyes, picking up one of my coats from the rack by the door. It was small on her, too short in the arms, but it only made her look more adorable if it was possible.

"If Garfunky wakes up and we're not there she might be scared, but if she smells both of us then she'll calm down."

Brittany took my hand and I led her back down the building's hallway and stairs. There was a thought that soon the apartment would smell like both of us, but like not in a gross way. In the way that Garfunkel knew that it was her home, well I guess our home.

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It took a while to bring in all of the boxes, though most of it was just in bags and mostly Brittany's clothes. There was one picture frame that was broken on the trip over, so that was scraped. I guess it was a good thing Berry gave us a couple posters. I was, however, overly thankful for cooking utensils.

The noise had brought the attention of the neighbors across the hall from us. Mrs. Reed was a old divorced woman raising two young boys, with a bit of a drinking problem. She was friendly, though I hadn't spoke to her much the two weeks I've been in New York. She did however notice that I was engaged right away.

"Ah, Santana. What's with all the commotion?" Mrs. Reed stood in her doorway, leaning against it. I was in much of similar stance, waiting for Brittany to bring up the last bag.

"Oh, sorry. My girlfriend is moving her things in."

"I finally get to met your belle?"

I nodded, and no sooner Brittany appeared at the end of the hall. Once she was in arms reach, I wrapped my arm around her waist.

"Brittany this is Mrs. Kim Reed, our neighbor. Kim this is my fiancée Brittany."

Brittany smiled and balanced the box on her knee to free her hand to shake Mrs. Reed's outstretched hand.

"I'm happy to finally put a face to a name. Santana's said many things about you. But- I see you two have a busy night ahead of you, so I'll leave you be."

"Nice meeting you too."

Mrs. Reed swayed back into her apartment and I pushed Brittany into ours.

"You been telling people tales about me?"

"Nothing that isn't true."

Brittany carried in the last heavy box into the apartment and dropped it behind the couch next to the three other black bags, as I locked the door.

"That's the last one."

I stepped to next to her and we both looked over the bags and boxes littering the floor. I was debating whether to start sorting through stuff now or "are you hungry?", but Brittany's fingers wrapped around my wrist and spun me into her chest.

I caught myself on her shoulders, while her hands unbuttoned my coat. I was fixed to her blue eyes watching herself slide my coat off my shoulders and onto the floor. I could almost feel her eyes raking up my neck, her cold hands burnt through my shirt as they climbed my sides until they rested, cupping my face.

I dropped my hands to her waist, the stone on my ring glinting and reminding me exactly what we had. We stood like that staring, me into her darkening blue pools and her into what I had always thought were too dark to be colorful but she told me that they were the brightest part of me.

Brittany's soft lips finally came over mine, slowly coaxing me to open for her with long strokes along my bottom lip. The same gentle teasing continued, I was lax in letting her tongue me until it stirred my own actions.

I pulled my coat off of her, joining the other on the floor at our feet, and tangled my fingers in her hair. Brittany's moan spurred me to begin tugging us backwards down the hall. Even though I've had two weeks to map out the layout of the apartment, I still managed to stumble into the wall and door frame of our bedroom.

Just as I was about to toss her back on the bed she pulled away from me. "Wait San, kitty's still sleeping."

I was seriously considering throwing the cat out in the hall for being such an infuriating cockblock. Brittany thankfully took the initiative and carefully scooped up Garfunkel and tucked her into a nest of clothes scatter by the closet. I had fell onto the bed, propping myself up on my elbows with my feet dangling off the side. My shirt was laying open from Brittany popping the buttons, and I unfastened my pants to keep the pace moving along.

Brittany stood and twirled around with a smirk, "someone's eager." She torn her shirt over her head and strode towards me until she was sitting between my legs.

She dropped her head between by breast to kiss her way up to my pulse. I tilted my head to give her more room and wrapped my legs around her thighs. From there I let the heat beating in my head and settling in my stomach, take control.

I pushed off my shirt and bra along with hers, while Brittany tugged by pants off. She always had a thing for stripping me, but who was to blame her.

"Britt take off-" She kissed me, wiggling out of her pants while I pulled her ontop of me, pinning myself to the bed. Her lips ghosted over my neck, and I could feel them curl into a smile.

"Wasn't I suppose to be in trouble for something? This seems like the opposite."

I quirked my eyebrow and flipped positions, "it sounds like you're asking to be punished."

The dark smirk I got in return was my insurance that neither of us were going to be sleeping very much tonight.

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The next morning I was woken by an overly friendly kitten paw to the face. Garfunkel was pacing between Brittany's and mine pillows. Brittany probably wasn't awakened from her baby's pawing since she was using me as a pillow instead. Not that I was going to complain about the familiar weight, warm breath, or silky hair tickling my skin.

Brittany was mostly using me as a bed too; it was amazing that I hadn't woken earlier.

Physical exhaustion does a lot to a person.

Another swipe to my forehead started me to wake up the woman wrapped around me. I pressed my nose into her hair, kissing the tangled locks. "Baby, rise and shine."

Brittany shifted to place a warm kiss on my chest. "I'm already shining."

Brittany had apparently woke up a long time ago. Which I should have noticed from the smell of coffee wafting through the open door and the tank top she was sporting.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked so sleepy. And Garfunkel was doing a pretty good job."

The cat was sitting on the night stand within my reach, so I picked her up one handed and brought her to sit in the small space between Brittany and me. "What would I do without my furry alarm clock?"

Brittany moved to scratch Garfunkel's ears, smiling against me, earning a loud rumble of approval from the cat. I dropped my head to lay against sleep tangled blonde hair.

This is what I had to look forward to everyday. Waking up by a loud meow from our cat, and a kiss from the love of my life could never lead to a bad day.

Smiling, I tugged closer to my fiancée.

Whatever happened to us, if we never unpacked all the boxes in the spare room, if Garfunkel pooped in our closet, if Brittany was pissed at me for putting frogs in the bathroom instead of ducks; it wouldn't matter, as long as we were together.

"I love you, Britt Britt."

"I love you too honey."

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END

AN: Oh god, that says end. I'm over come with emotions. [get yourself together]

I really want to thank everyone that's read and stuck with me. To the people that just read along, thank you. To those that left thoughts, thank you.

I doubt I would of gotten this far without you guys. It's been awesome.

Let me know what you think about stuff.