Fic: What We Need

Title: What We Need

Pairings: Santana/Brittany

Rating: PG for some swearing.

Disclaimer: I don't own them and will return them when I have finished.

Summary: Santana Lopez returns to her home town for some much needed rest, but after an encounter with an eight year old girl and her Mother, she finds herself questioning the choices she has made in her life.

Chapter 1

Squeals of excitement and peals of laughter filled the air around the playground, as a small circle of girls and boys of differing ages stood watching, as two of their number stood toe to toe. Two girls no more than eight years old stood in the centre of their friends, glaring at each other, a small deflated ball forgotten on the floor between them. They had been arguing since the start of recess, and what had initially started as a small altercation over a burst ball, had quickly degenerated into a full blow argument.

"You and your Mom are poor Olivia." The smaller redheaded girl known to all as Ashley said crossing her arms over her chest. She looked around pleased at the wide eyes and the chorus of 'ohhh's' that followed her words.

"We're not poor!" The slightly taller blonde haired girl known as Olivia replied, her lips pursing in anger at the insult the other girl had thrown at not only her, but her Mom to.

"You are, look at how you're dressed." Ashley ran her eyes up the length of the other girl's body and the turned to her friends with a giggle.

"What's wrong with how I'm dressed?" Olivia asked as she looked down at her outfit. She had her favourite panda t-shirt and pink shorts with electric blue sneakers. It was a cute outfit, she looked cute in it, and her Mom had told her so when they had picked it out together that morning.

Ashley rolled her eyes, pulled a face to her friends who stood behind her. She then fixed her gaze upon Olivia's outfit once more and smiled as she suddenly though of something nasty to say to Olivia. "Like you're poor, you look like one of those homeless people who sleep in boxes by the side of the gym in town."

Olivia's mouth dropped open at Ashley's words. She didn't understand why the other girl didn't like her and why she was saying such horrible things. She had never done anything mean to her or said anything bad; they even used to be friends. Shaking her head Olivia pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, "I do not. Why are you being so mean? I said I was sorry for bursting the ball, it was an accident."

"Well it's not good enough, besides I don't accept apologies off the homeless." As Ashley's words ripped through the air a series of giggles from the kids around them filled the air and Olivia felt her eyes sting with tears. They were laughing at her and it hurt.

"I said I'm not homeless." Olivia said in a quiet but determined voice. Sure they didn't have a lot of stuff, but they had everything that they needed. More importantly they did have a house.

"Then there is your house."

"Yeah I live in a nice house, it's not made of cardboard or anything." Olivia responded in a matter of fact way that earned her a few chuckles from the people standing closet to her that took her honest words as her being sarcastic. The giggles and the words just earned her another glare of hatred from Ashley.

"Yeah, but it's not a nice as mine." Ashley said loudly with a roll of her eyes so everyone could hear. She loved to point out that her Daddy was rich and she had a pony and they had a TV's in every room in their house.

"Well... we moved." Olivia regretted the words the second they left her lips. They hadn't moved at all, she just wanted to shut Ashley up, and at that point Olivia found herself willing to say anything.

"From the gym?" Ashley asked with a small pride filled smirk upon her lips. She was clearly pleased with her insult and so were her friends by the calls of 'good one' and 'nice' that followed them.

"We didn't live at the gym with the homeless." Olivia shouted as she slammed her fist into her thigh her frustration with how the other girl was treating her getting the best of her.

Ashley shrugged her shoulders in response, "Whatever, you didn't move my Mom would know and she would have told me."

"Your Mom doesn't know everything and yes we did move." Olivia persisted with her lie, her head bobbing up and down as she tried to convey that she was feeling confident and she was telling the truth.

Ashley looked over her shoulder towards her friends who nodded encouragingly. She then turned her attention back to her target and folded her small arms across her chest. "Where did you move to then?"

"The... the..." Olivia stuttered, she hadn't through that far ahead. Olivia's mind started to work overtime as she thought of a place she and her Mom could have moved to. A place better than were Ashley lived. Somewhere bigger. She had just wanted to make her stop talking and insulting her. She just wanted her to quit saying that she and her Mom were homeless and lived by the gym.

"See, poor, homeless and a liar." Ashley snorted earning another chorus of 'yeah's'.

"I'm not a liar," Olivia worried her lips as she ran though all the houses near where they lived. All of them sucked, or people lived in them. Suddenly her eyes lit up as she thought of the perfect place she and her Mom could have moved to.

The street next to the park was full of big old rich people's houses. She walked down it with her Gran every time that they went to the park. One of the houses in particular was bigger than the rest. It sat at the end of the road and backed onto the forest. Olivia had asked her Gran about it once and her Gran had told her that it belonged to some really rich people.

Olivia guessed that even Ashley's parents weren't that rich, they didn't live near the park or have a house that backed onto the forest and that house, well It was the biggest house in Lima, Olivia was sure of it. It was way bigger and better than were Ashley lived. It was perfect. "We moved to the big house at the edge of town."

Ashley's eyes widened and Olivia could tell she knew what house she was talking about. Everyone knew that house. "No way. My Daddy says that no one lives there anymore, especially not you."

"Do too." Olivia spat towards Ashley as she stomped her foot.

"Do not." Ashley quickly shot back.

Olivia clenched her fists tightly, "Do too."

"You're a big fat liar." Ashley shouted raising a finger and pointing it right at Olivia's chest.

"Am not." Olivia cried, trying to sound indigent. Sure Ashley was right, she was lying but she started it and Olivia knew she couldn't back down. Everyone would laugh at her.

"What is going on here?" A voice suddenly boomed over the sea of children who were giggling at their classmates' argument.

The interruption and the owner of the voice caused both girls to break their staring contest for a Moment and look up. Olivia was secretly grateful to see their teacher Mrs Ransom. She could explain what happened with the ball and how Ashley was being super extra mean and then she could go back to playing.

"Its Olivia Mrs Ransom, she's a big old liar." Ashley quickly said with a smug smile, obviously happy now an authority figure was here and Olivia was about to be put in her place.

"Am not." Olivia replied softly as she looked from Ashley to Mrs Ransom and then back.

It was clear from the frown that quickly marred Mrs Ransom's face and the admonishing tone of voice she used which one of the girls she believed. "Ashley Ruben, you know it's not nice to call your classmates names."

Ashley eyes widened in disbelief, "But Mrs Ransom, she is a liar; she said she and her Mom moved to that big house on the edge of town."

"Now Ashley..." Mrs Ransom started, her frown of disapproval deepening with Ashley's little speech.

"But Mrs Ransom she said it!" Ashley persisted, her face becoming as red as her hair with frustration and anger that their teacher obviously didn't believe what she was saying.

"Is this true Olivia?" Mrs Ransom asked her gaze softening when it landed on the small blonde girl who usually avoided conflict. The fact that Olivia was arguing with the most argumentative and arrogant girl in her class, was not lost on the teacher.

"Yes."

Mrs Ransom's eyebrows shot up her forehead at Olivia's reply. "Your Mom never said anything about you moving to me or to the school office. Are you sure?"

"I..." Olivia heisted for a second before Ashley's smirking face got the better of her and she nodded towards her teacher. She knew she was going to be in so much trouble with everyone, not just her Mom, but she couldn't help herself Ashley just seemed to bring the worst out in her. "Yes."

Mrs Ransom shook her head in exasperation as she accepted Olivia's simple Yes as the truth. "Parents should know that we as the school have to know these things."

Ashley's eyes widened in disbelief and her face flushed again with anger as she realised that their teacher was accepting the other girl's story over hers. "But Mrs Ransom, you don't believe her do you? She's just a stupid homeless..."

"Ashley Ruben, be quiet and consider your words carefully in future. I just hope you weren't going to say what I think you were going to say. I won't tolerate that kind of talk from you directed at your fellow students. Is that understood?"

"But..." Ashley started protest only to be cut short once again by Mrs Ransom.

"I said do you understand?" Mrs Ransom asked her voice hardening at Ashley defiance.

"Yes Mrs Ransom." Ashley spat through gritted teeth her eyes blazing holes into her blonde classmate.

"Good. Now Olivia, did your Mom tell Mrs Costello? I know that she is car pooling today and you're getting a ride home from her."

"I don't know." Olivia answered wincing slightly. She knew for a fact her Mom hadn't because they hadn't moved anywhere. They still lived where they had always lived, with her Gran and Olivia didn't see that changing anytime soon.

"Well when I let the class out for the end of school I'll walk you to Mrs Costello's car and make sure she knows that you have moved OK?"

Olivia simply nodded her head, her voice failing her.

"Great."

Olivia felt her heart hammering in her chest as Mrs Ransom ushered Ashley and the rest of her classmates away. Her Mom was going to be so mad at her. Not only had she lied, she had then opted to not tell the truth when the opportunity arose, but it was all Ashley Ruben's fault really. She had called her names and pushed her to it.

Olivia swallowed hard as the car pulled up to the huge gates that led to the house that everyone in town knew.

"Are you sure about this sweetie? Your Mom never mentioned anything to me this morning." Mrs Costello asked her kind voice travelling from the front of the car into the back.

"It must have slipped her mind." Olivia smiled tightly as she looked into the eyes of Mrs Costello, she just wished that the woman instinctively knew she wasn't telling the truth and would take her home.

"Must have."

Olivia glanced at the girl sitting next to her who had just spoken. She couldn't believe she was here. She had it all planned. She had been all ready to tell the woman as soon as she pulled away from the kerb outside of school that it had been a joke, but Ashley's presence put a stop to that.

Olivia had found herself watching in horror as Ashley had run up to Mrs Costello's car with Laura and both had asked could Ashley come to her house after school. Mrs Costello had agreed as long as Ashley's Mom did. As soon as she saw Ashley run away from her own Mom's from her car and then jump in the back saying it was ok, Olivia knew she was done for. She couldn't tell the other woman the truth not with Ashley there.

"Well the gates are open lets go in."

Olivia looked up and saw that Mrs Costello was telling the truth. The gates were open. They have never been open before. The wide shrubs that usually looked a little wild had been trimmed and shaped in to weird and wonderful shapes and Olivia could even see some animals at the far end of the lawn.

As Mrs Costello's silver Prius smoothly made its way over the gravel drive way and pulled to stop in front of the huge house it was obvious to everyone in the car that someone was living here.

"Ok sweetie, here we are."

"Yeah." Olivia breathed out faintly. She didn't want to get out of the car. She wanted to just stay in and have Laura's Mom drive her home to her Gran's house.

She didn't want to have to walk home from here, she was only eight and a half, and even though she was pretty sure she knew the way back to her Gran's, she couldn't shake the feeling she would get lost or something would happen to her. It was a really long walk.

"Go on then sweetie. Out you get."

"Yeah Olivia out you get." A familiar and annoying voice suddenly piped up.

Olivia glared as Ashley as she was practically forced to get out of the car. She really didn't like her. It was her fault that all this was happening. Really deep down she knew that if she hadn't lied in the first place then she would be home right now, eating strawberry ice-cream while her Gran told her stories about her Mom when she was younger, but Olivia refused to admit this. It was easier to place the blame on Ashley, easier than accepting it was her fault and accepting the consequences of what her lie was going to bring.

Looking up at the huge imposing house Olivia wanted nothing more than to turn around and tell Laura's Mom that she had lied, but the fact that Ashley was grinning at her from the back seat hardened Olivia's resolve. There was no way she was backing down from this. It was going to be a hell of a long way home from here and her Mom would be so angry but she wouldn't give up in front of Ashley.

Forcing a smile on her face Olivia shut the door to the silver car and waved at the three people occupying the vehicle. "Bye."

Mrs Costello leaned sideways over the steering wheel and smiled at Olivia and waved a hand towards the house. "Go on Honey, better go inside. I'll wait till you're safely in."

"I..."Olivia felt her eyes widen and her shoulders slump as Mrs Costello smiled at her expectantly.

"Ok."

Turning around and away from the car and her grinning and very evil nemesis Ashley, Olivia took a deep breath and took her first step up the large white Granite staircase, which leads towards two large oak doors.

Rubbing a hand over her face Santana slammed her laptop shut and picked up the buzzing phone from her desk. "Santana Lopez."

"How is everything?" Santana smiled automatically as the familiar voice of her friend Kurt Hummel reached her ears. Leaning back in her chair Santana contemplated the question.

"Everything is good." Santana Lopez replied after a time as she glanced around the huge house her friend and manager had organised for her to stay in. She hadn't been here for years, but it was still the same as she remembered. The same pictures, the same ornaments, hell even the gardens looked the same.

"Good as in great? Or good as in 'it's mediocre and completely beneath me now I'm rich and famous'?" Kurt asked his voice carrying his amusement over the line.

"Neither, this house has more bling than the Vatican." Santana snorted and heard Kurt's laughter down the line. It was true though. Her Mother loved opulence and slender, oh and spending money. Everything this house contained Santana knew paid testament to that. If anything in the house cost under a thousand dollars Santana would be surprised. Santana knew she had to give her Mother her dues, she had taste. The house was classically decorated, and every piece of furniture and decorative piece was antique. The fact that she must have been one of the few children in the world who had spent every night of her childhood in an 18th century antique four-poster bed was also evidence of this.

"Look I know it isn't exactly what you're used to. I know you like homely and minimal."

"It's not the house, it's the location. Ohio, Kurt? I still don't understand why you picked Ohio." It really wasn't either, Santana loved the house. While it reminded her of a less than perfect childhood, she had felt loved and cherished here; it was just the place it was situated in. She had hated this town growing up. There had been nothing to do, not that she was allowed to do much while she had been here. Her parents were firm believers that everyone in this cow town was beneath them and by extension their daughter. It made for a very lonely childhood.

"It seemed like a good idea, it's were you grew up, same house, and same town. I thought you would appreciate the familiarity. It what you need or so your doctor says."

Santana rolled her eyes as Kurt casually brought up the reason why she was forced to spend time here. She takes one fucking funny turn and she is banished to Lima fucking Ohio to recuperate. It was bullshit, if anything this town would make her condition worse.

"I guess...But I would have preferred Paris or maybe Cancun." Santana moaned.

"But everything's good?" Kurt asked again ignoring Santana's grumblings.

Santana rolled her eyes in response and nodded before remembering he couldn't see her.

"Yes Kurt everything's good, all the same, apart from the staff, the house even smells the same."

"So, the staff, are they up to your standards?"

"Yes." Santana replied as her eyes flicked to the open window in the office she was sitting in. she allowed her mind to run over the husband and wife duo William and Emma Schuester Kurt had employed at some point to be her new grounds and housekeeper.

The house was so big that Santana knew that it needed more than two people to run it, but she just detested the thought. She hated that they worked for her at all. At home in New York she just had a maid that came in four times a week and that was all. But this house was at least eight times bigger than her apartment and required a hell of a more work. When her parents had lived here, they had had a staff of six permanently, supplementing them when certain situations arose.

"Great, did you get my gift basket?" Kurt excited voice suddenly asked, bringing Santana back into the present. Rolling her eyes Santana briefly envisioned the huge wicker basket that had sat in the entrance hall when she had entered the house three days ago. She hadn't even needed to read the card to know who it was from. Who else but Kurt Hummel would dare send her a gift basket?

"Yes, although I think my housekeeper appreciated it more than me." Santana laughed as she recalled the way her new housekeeper had gushed over the expensive items that the basket contained. Santana had quickly liberated the champagne and told the housekeeper to go nuts with the rest.

"Obviously a woman with taste." Kurt grumbled much to Santana's amusement.

"I eat the caviar and drank the champagne, the rest I couldn't care less about." Santana smirked as she thought about her lonely evening meal. Emma had offered to rustle her something up but Santana had brushed her off in favour of her salted sturgeon roe and sparkling wine. She hadn't wanted to sit in the huge dining room alone.

"I put a lot of effort into that Santana."

"You mean you got your annoyingly loud assistant to do it?" Santana asked chuckling as her mind flickered to Rochelle or whatever the girl, who was always following Kurt around was called.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Kurt's answered evasively and Santana chuckled at having been right. A small beeping sound carried over the line and Santana heard Kurt talking to someone on another line. "I have to go I'm having lunch with Mercedes to discuss her upcoming album rights."

"Who did you manage to get to write songs for her, I bet they were lining up as usual?" Santana voice trailed off as she pondered the fact that she was letting her friends down by being here. She should have been there in her studio in New York helping Mercedes with her new album.

She owed a huge chunk of her success to Mercedes, when the other woman had gotten her big break she had dragged Santana up with her as her song writer. Over the past ten years there hadn't been an album Mercedes had released, that Santana hadn't written a song for. Well that was until now. Mercedes was working on a new album and Santana was stuck here, recuperating and it pissed Santana off that she was letting her down.

"Don't worry about that Santana; Mercedes was quite adamant that your health is more important than her album. But if you must know, so far what she had recorded has sound as excellent as always. I'll have Rachel email you a copy of the two songs she had recorded so far so you can give your seal of approval, I have a feeling it's going to go triple platinum."

Santana gave a small smile in response, "Well pass on my love to the fierce Ms Jones and tell her she can come visit me anytime. I'm gonna be bored shitless in this dump of a town, it might give me time to work, thank God my Mother insisted on buying that Grand Piano."

"I will do. You know that this is a break Santana, you don't need to get back to work as soon as possible ." Kurt's voice came over the line clearly carrying his disapproval at the fact that Santana was going to go straight back to work.

"Kurt." Santana said in a warning tone. She needed to work; it kept her mind from all the lonely bullshit that made up her fucked up life. It was her escape, she had notebook upon on notebook filled with songs. When she was feeling down she would write songs, when she was feeling particularly happy she would write songs. It was huge part of her life. She couldn't stop. She just couldn't. It was like breathing for her.

"I know, I know, you're a workaholic." Kurt replied exasperated.

"I can't stop Kurt, it's what I do." Her life was her work; it wasn't like she had anything else worthwhile in it.

"I know, I'm not asking you to stop Santana just take it easy. Eat properly, sleep properly, and exercise. No holding up in that study for days on end, drinking tequila and smoking cigars."

"I don't do that." Santana denied even though it was exactly what she did.

"Yeah, you're forgetting who is one of the few people that you let in to that hole you call an apartment when you're working. I know your habits."

"It helps me." Santana wasn't really sure what it helped her do. Forget? Forget what Santana wondered to herself? Maybe she just wanted to forget, how despite the fact that she had everything, she really had nothing. Or maybe she just wanted to kill herself. The latter sounded like a more plausible reason for her behaviour.

"I know, just look after yourself. Work if you must, I know that if you do come up with some stunningly beautiful ballad or whatever, Mercedes would be more than happy to ditch something off the album in favour of it."

Santana hummed and nodded, she knew what Kurt said was true. Mercedes would do just that for her. The other woman was like her musical muse, her voice inspired her to write and when they worked together they always produced stunningly beautiful music.

"Well I will call you in a few days but if you have any problems call me anytime."

"Even during your Blaine time?" Santana asked her tone teasing; she could hear a rustle of fabric from the other end of the line that indicated that Kurt was moving around.

"Well I might have to draw the line there." Kurt laughed down the line and Santana joined him.

"I'll speak to you later. Bye Kurt. Pass on my love to your hunk of man meat as well."

"Bye Santana and take care of yourself." Kurt's concerned voice said as Santana sighed and nodded her head.

"I will do."

Santana hit end call button on her cell and threw the slim piece of plastic wires and glass onto the desk before her. Kurt was like on over protective Mother hen. Santana knew if she hadn't known him for the past eight years, she would think it was just all the money she made him that kept him nagging her. As it was she knew him well and knew that he was genuinely worried about her. Hence this forced vacation time in Midwest America.

Santana allowed her gaze to wander around the study that had once belonged to her Father. Medical textbooks and journals filled the shelves to the back of one of the walls. Santana could remember sitting on her Father's lap as he sat in this very chair and told her stories of his misspent youth.

Santana started and then frowned a buzzing from somewhere in the house interrupted her internal musings before they could really get going. She briefly registered that it was the doorbell and that Emma or Will would get it. Shaking her head Santana grabbed her laptop and pulled it open.

After several minutes the door buzzed again. And then it happened again. Groaning Santana pushed herself to her feet and moved around the desk and opened the door to the study and stuck her head out. She looked left and right as she wondered were Emma could be. She guessed the Kitchen and looked in that direction.

"Emma, get the door!" Santana shouted and waited for the mousy redheaded woman's response. After another few silence filled minutes the door bell rang again and Santana frowned at the lack of response from the usually prompt and observant housekeeper.

"Emma?" Santana called out and once again was met with silence.

"For fucks sake." Santana growled to herself as she threw open the door to the study fully and quickly strode down the marble floored hallway that lead to the foyer.

It didn't take her long to reach the front door and with a quick look in the huge ceiling to floor length mirror that was hung to the left of the double doors. Santana yanked the left hand side of the door open and found herself looking into thin air. Frowning at the fact no one was there and feeling her mood dip Santana took a step backwards and went to close the door.

"Erm... Olivia left her book in the car."

Santana started at the nasally voice that came from bellow her. Letting her head dip Santana found her gaze landing on a small redheaded girl wearing a yellow sundress and holding out a pink book towards her. "What?"

The little girl frowned at her and looked at her like she had said something particularly stupid. "Olivia she left her book in the car."

Looking down at the red haired girl that was standing in front of her huge wooden doors Santana felt a frown of confusion crease her brow. Who the hell was Olivia? She didn't know any Olivia. She wondered briefly if Will or Emma had taken on a new employee, but dismissed it straight away. As far as new employees went Santana knew that there was no way in hell they would have risked her wrath by not running the idea by her first. Then she wondered if this was their kid, but she remembered Emma saying she didn't have any.

"Olivia?" Santana asked as she folded her arms across her chest. She didn't know what the hell the kid was talking about, never mind how she got in here. Santana leaned out of the door slightly and felt her face flush with anger as she realised that the gates were wide open when they should be closed. Santana made a mental note to have a word with Will; she didn't want just anyone wandering on to her property. God only knows what types of freaks she could get banging down her door, presently company included.

"Yeah she lives here." The little girl said drawing Santana's attention once more to the matter at hand.

"Look kid, I don't know who Olivia is, but you're trespassing on private property. So get lost."

"But Olivia..."

A small cough to her right caught Santana's attention. Swinging her head around Santana found her own gaze trapped in the fear filled brown orbs of the small blonde haired girl who was standing by her Mother's favourite antique jardinière. What the fuck was the first thought that entered Santana's mind. How the hell had some kid gotten in her house unseen? The door she presumed, but why the hell she was in her house was the more pressing matter.

Santana was just about to let loose on the kid when she noticed the kids face. She could see from the way the kid's lower lip was quivering and how wide her eyes were that the kid was clearly terrified, and Santana didn't blame her. Who wouldn't be terrified if you was trespassing in some stranger's house and if the little redhead was to be believed, was pretending that she lived here? Santana was sure it would be an interesting story. She almost laughed at the irony, when she was a kid she used to pretend that she didn't live here.

"Olivia?" Santana asked her gaze shifting back to the other little girl who was currently stood outside her home.

"Yeah Olivia, she came in here, she said she lives here now." The little redhead said and Santana could tell from her tone, that it was clear that she didn't believe a word of whatever the little blonde had told her.

"Did she?" Santana asked her attention shifting back to little blonde girl who looked down at her feet and nodded her head slowly while she clutched at the straps on her backpack nervously.

Santana looked back towards the door just as the little redhead nodded, "Yeah she did, but she was obviously lying, but that to expected, because my Mom said that her Dad was criminal. He left her and her Mom, but that's to be expected too, because my Mom says that her Mom is a slu..."

"Ok that's more than enough out of you." Santana quickly said interrupting the little redhead's rant. She moved her head back to the right, and felt her heart clench in her chest has two fat tears spilled over the eyes of the small girl standing in her lobby, as the viscous words of the other girl washed over her.

Santana felt her mood darken in regards to the little redhead with the big mouth. The stuff she had been saying was way out of line and it was obvious from the way she bragged about it her Mom was some sort of vile gossip. She wasn't really around kids much, well like ever, but Santana was sure that you didn't talk about stuff like that in front of them.

When the little blonde dropped her head and her shoulder heaved with obvious silent sobs Santana pursed her lips and felt her chest tighten at the heart breaking sight. For some reason Santana found herself wanting to reach out and hug the little girl and tell her that it would be ok.

Instead she whipped back around and grabbed the book out of the hand of the obnoxious little redheaded girl and gave her best and most viscous glare. "Did I just not tell you you're trespassing?"

The redhead took a nervous step backwards, but didn't quite flee like Santana had hoped she would when she took the book. "Yeah, but Olivia..."

"I said get lost kid." Santana growled flicking a wrist towards the steps and the silver Toyota Prius she could see waiting for her.

"You can't talk to me like that." The little redhead whined placing her hands on her hips.

"Really? You're standing on the stoop of my house, in my grounds, of my properly. I think I can talk to you how I like."

"My Mom says..."

Santana rolled her eyes; she didn't give a fuck what the kid's Mom said. She sounded like a nasty bitch that was all Santana knew. "Your Mom says too much if you ask me, she sounds like she needs her tongue removing kid."

"You can't talk about my Mom like that." The little redhead shouted and her fists clenched tightly at her sides in anger.

"I think you will find that I can." Santana snorted with a roll of her eyes. "Now get off my property, before I have my servants release the hounds!"

The little redhead's eyes widened and she looked like she would dispute the fact that Santana had hounds or servants, when the owner of the Prius decided that she had been waiting long enough and honked the horn.

Santana shook her head as she watched the little redhead bolt from her door and down the steps towards the waiting car. If she never saw that kid again it would be too soon. Her attitude and some of the things she had said had left a lot to be desired, especially for a kid, who Santana guessed, couldn't have been no more than eight or nine years old.

Slowly closing the door Santana's mind was brought back to her impromptu visitor. Turning around fully Santana allowed her gaze to sweep up the little girl. Her slightly curly blonde hair just came to her shoulders and a white t-shirt sporting a cute little panda covered her torso. She also wore bright pink shorts, white ankle socks and a pair of bright blue converse. Santana felt a small smile tug up the corner of her mouth. The kid whoever she was, she looked adorable.

Clearing her throat Santana watched as the little girl's head rose and two wide brown eyes still filled with tears focused on her face. Santana could still see fear, but now it was accompanied by relief and gratitude and more prominently something that looked suspiciously like awe was swimming in the little girl's eyes. The latter made Santana slightly uncomfortable, she had never had anyone quite look at her like that.

"Olivia I take it?" Santana asked gently.

"Yes." Olivia replied so quietly that Santana was sure she would have missed it had she been even another millimetre away.

"Well I'm Santana, Santana Lopez." Smiling gently after her introduction, Santana dropped into a crouch to appear less intimidating and held out her hand towards Olivia.

Santana felt her smile grow as the little blonde took a hesitant step forward and after a moment of internal debate grasped her hand giving it a gently shake.

"My name's Olivia, Olivia Pierce."

Hope you all enjoyed. Reviews and comments always welcome. Thanks!