It's been a while for this story and for that, I apologize. I've been really caught up with real life and with lack of Brittana on Glee as of late, I've been really lacking inspiration. But I'm back on my horse now and ready to ride this story to the end! So with that, enjoy the update!

….

Santana laid on her old bed in her parents' house, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Two days had passed since the funeral and it still seemed like she hadn't given her mother a proper goodbye. She didn't know how long she'd been there, but her trance was broken by a knock on the door.

"San? Can I come in?" Brittany's soft voice asked.

"Yeah," she replied monotonously. The door creaked open and the dark-haired girl looked up towards Brittany's approaching figure until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. There was an unfamiliar look on Brittany's face that caused Santana to sit up and tilt her head to the side. "What is it?" She added.

"We need to talk…" Brittany began. Santana tensed up just as the blonde continued. "I'm not breaking up with you but we do need to talk."

Biting her lip, Santana looked down at her hands as she sat up next to Brittany. "About what?"

"The day your mom died," Brittany said carefully, "I accidentally saw a text message from Rachel…a text about the two of you. There's something you're still not telling me…"

Santana's defenses shot up and in an instant she was on her feet. "Can we not talk about it now? I'm not really in the mood," she huffed, starting for the door, but she was stopped by Brittany catching her wrist.

"No, we need to talk about it now. What the hell happened between you and Rachel?" Brittany asked firmly. Santana looked away, clenching her jaw.

"It doesn't matter. I'm with you now," Santana muttered.

"It matters to me! Obviously Rachel is still hung up on you or something because she texted you not even a week ago about it. And I know you read the text, so don't play dumb, Santana." Brittany crossed her arms and leaned on one hip as the brunette threw her hands up.

"What do you want me to say? Rachel and I had a thing in high school! Big deal," she boomed in reply.

"A thing? So telling her you loved her and leaving her heartbroken was just a thing?" Brittany fumed, not even giving Santana the chance to breathe before continuing, "You know, it kind of makes me wonder what I mean to you."

"Brittany…you're not like Rachel…I swear," Santana explained desperately. "I'm in love with you…I would never just leave…I left because of my mom when I came out, and it was too hard for me to say goodbye, so I just left. But I'm not going to leave you. You have to believe me, Britt…"

Brittany looked at Santana wearily and sighed, "But you already lied to me about Rachel. How am I supposed to believe you after that?"

The words made Santana's chest twist, "Because it's true. I know you don't trust me right now, but I promise, I'm not going to just leave you."

With a final breath and a resolute nod, Brittany moved for the door. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Santana. You should get some rest…I'm going for a walk."

"Britt?" Santana's voice came out soft and laced with guilt. Brittany turned around to look at her girlfriend. "I'm so sorry for lying to you."

Nodding again, Brittany turned the door handle and left Santana to sulk in her thoughts. After about ten minutes, she picked up her phone and dialed Rachel's number.

"Santana?" Rachel's soft voice answered.

"You said we needed to talk, so talk," Santana said sharply, her nerves already on edge from the previous conversation with Brittany. She could hear Rachel's nervous intake of breath and her knee drummed impatiently.

"Why did you leave without saying goodbye? You really hurt me back then," the smaller of the two breathed into the receiver.

"This is now and now I'm with Brittany and you're with Quinn. I don't see what there is left to talk about," she bit.

"Of course there's things left to talk about! You told me you-,"

"Well I've changed, okay? By bringing this up now, you've put my relationship in jeopardy and I don't appreciate it. Listen, I'd love to be your friend, but you have to let what we had go. I know it was an asshole move of me to just leave, and I'm sorry for hurting you, but you have to cut the drama if we're going to stay friends, Rachel."

A moment of silence passed, "Fine. I'm sorry as well. Thank you for calling me. Sorry to hear about your mother, by the way."

"Me too, I'll talk to you later," Santana breathed, a weight lifting from her shoulders.

"Bye."

"Bye," she hung up and fell back on the bed. She didn't have much time to think before there was a tap on the door. Santana leaned up to see her father standing in the doorway.

"I heard shouting and saw Brittany go outside…what happened?" Diego asked in his gruff voice.

Santana covered her eyes with her hands and groaned, "Nothing, papi."

"Mija…" His voice was knowing. He moved from his place in the door to sit on the edge of the bed. His practiced hands smoothed out the corner of the comforter as he looked around the room, waiting for Santana to speak.

"Me and Brittany got in a fight because of an old relationship," she finally muttered.

"Why? You didn't cheat on her, did you?" Diego asked wearily.

"No, no…nothing like that…I just…" Santana sighed and sat up, gathering her next thought. "When I left…I had a girlfriend…and I left without even saying goodbye. Said ex-girlfriend now lives in Lima, where Brittany lives, and she's just…she wanted answers, that's all. When Brittany found out the real story behind me and my ex…well, she wasn't too happy, is all," she droned, not expecting to get anything out of talking to her father.

"You know, your mother used to have a saying…" Diego stood up and walked over to the dresser, he looked at all of the pictures and knick-knacks that sat there. "She used to say, no hay rosa sin espinas. No rose without thorns. Nothing beautiful is perfect. You and Brittany will get over this and move on. You will have many fights…but that's part of being in love with someone." Diego turned to look at Santana, his brown eyes softer than usual and a comforting smile under his black moustache.

Santana ran a hand through her hair and repeated to herself, "No hay rosa sin espinas." She nodded and stood up to meet her father for a hug. "Gracias, papi." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before going towards the bedroom door. "I'm going out to find Brittany."

"Be careful, mija, it's getting dark," Diego called down the hall as she headed for the door.

"Yo se, yo se, papi!" Santana droned as she walked through the living room and out the front door, looking left, then right, before turning back to her left and starting down the sidewalk.

….

After about twenty minutes of walking through her childhood neighborhood, Santana ended up at the park. It was there she saw that familiar blonde figure, sitting on the swings and kicking at the sand on the ground. Santana pressed her lips together and made her way over, taking the swing next to her girlfriend and looking at the blonde's concentrated face.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me and Rachel…" Santana began.

"You lied to me again," was Brittany's quiet response.

"I didn't want to mess us up," she tried lamely.

"You could have told me." Brittany's gaze snapped to Santana and their eyes met in a firm stare.

"I was scared to mess things up…I've never been good at relationships…but Brittany, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone…I want to make this relationship good and I want it to last as long as possible…please believe me when I tell you that," she pleaded.

"I believe you," Brittany sighed, defeated, their eyes still staring at one another. "I'm just…I'm scared you're going to hurt me like you hurt Rachel."

"Brittany," Santana started, standing up and moving to kneel in front of Brittany's swing, her hands coming to hold both of Brittany's paler ones. "I would never, ever do anything to intentionally hurt you…" Her hands gave a soft squeeze, to which Brittany squeezed back and nodded, words unable to form in her mouth.

"Okay," was all it took for Santana to stand up and pull Brittany into a long embrace.

"Thank you for another chance," Santana whispered.

Brittany merely nodded into dark hair, "I love you too, by the way."

"C'mon," the Latina beamed, dropping a gentle kiss on Brittany's lips, "Let's get home, we're going back to Lima tomorrow, remember?" The two linked hands, and as the sun set in the cozy suburban neighborhood, the young couple made their way back to the Lopez home for a much needed night's rest.

…

Not much, but it's something. Sorry for the short update. I'm trying, I really am!