Well, here we are. There was meant to be a chapter between the last one I posted and this, but I realised it was just filler and didn't actually add to the story so I decided to leave it out. I might post it as a one shot some time!

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read, rec, favourite, alert and review this story. I never imagined it would get such a response and it really has been amazing to know that people enjoy reading what I enjoy writing. I remade my tumblr so you can follow me there - itainthardtryin - but other than that, it's been a fun ride! Until next time... ;)

December, Five Years Later

Brittany sighs as she sits at her desk. She understands that she has an important role to play at the newspaper, and she's taking over from Michael when he retires in March, but she just doesn't understand why she has to work today of all days. Surely one day a year isn't too much to ask to take off, especially when that day is her five year anniversary with Santana.

She's shaken from her thoughts by the sound of her phone ringing in her bag, so she leans down to take it out before answering it.

"Hey, baby," she says when she answers, glad that it is Santana and not someone else.

"Hey yourself," Santana flirts back. "How's work?"

"Ugh, don't talk to me about work. I'm still pissed that I couldn't get today off and on top of that Michael is sending me to report at some exclusive event tonight before I go home so I probably won't even be home until, like, seven and I just... I just want to spend today cuddling with you in bed, and then take you out somewhere fancy," she finishes, defeated.

"Hey, don't worry about it, we can cuddle when you get home and celebrate tomorrow?"

Brittany sighs. "It's not the same! Today's our anniversary, not tomorrow."

"I know, I know, but I guess we're just going to have to make do with what we can get."

"Why are you so okay with this? If you had to work all day on our anniversary I'd be annoyed with you," Brittany admits quietly.

"Because I know you tried to get it off and I know it's not your fault that you couldn't. That and the fact that I know you're still coming home to me and I still get to go to sleep beside you tonight and wake up beside you tomorrow."

Brittany sighs. She knows she's probably overreacting and that Santana is right. She calms down a little. "I love you, you know."

"Yeah, I kinda had an idea," Santana says and Brittany can hear the smile in her voice. "I love you, too."

"I should get back to work, I've a lot to do," Brittany says sadly.

"Oh, okay. I'll see you later though, yeah?"

"Trust me, I'll be home as soon as I can," Brittany assures her. "I wish I could talk longer but it's just I have so much to do and-"

"Shhhh," Santana interrupts. "I understand. I'll see you later, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye."

"Bye."

The line clicks off and Brittany feels like she could scream in frustration. She just wants to spend the day with Santana. She returns her attention to the screen in front and opens an unread e-mail to distract herself. Today is going to be a long day.

She leaves the office at half four to make her way to Repertory Theatre at Yale where Michael's organised for her to attend an exclusive showing of a new musical. Usually, she'd be over the moon with the opportunity to report about something new, but today she wants to be anywhere else.

She parks her car and walks around to the front door. As she approaches she's a little confused, because usually there'd be more journalists, or at least just people at something like this, but there's no-one around. She checks the e-mail with the details on her phone and she's definitely got the right date, right place and right time. She sighs and makes her way towards the door. As she gets closer she notices a young man at the door in a suit. He's smiling at her as she approaches.

"Miss. Pierce?" he says.

Brittany eyes him suspiciously. "Yes?"

"We're expecting you. Follow me, you're just in time."

Brittany starts to panic a little. Is she really that frustrated with everything that she's so late that everyone else is already inside? Is she holding the whole show up? She shakes it off, as she's never been one to let her personal life affect her work. No, she's ten minutes early for the time Michael told her. She follows the man inside and he holds the door into the theatre open for her. She walks past him and stops dead.

"Um... are you sure we're in the right place?" she asks him when she sees that the theatre is completely empty.

"I'm sure," he says with a grin. "I'll show you to your seat." He starts walking down the aisle to the front of the theatre and Brittany watches him for a few seconds before following hesitantly. He leads her to the front and points to a seat right in the center of the row.

"Here," he says. "The show will start in a few minutes."

"But there's no-one h-"

"The show will begin shortly, Miss. Pierce," he interrupts. "Please take your seat."

Brittany looks at him, confused. "Thank you," she says shyly as she makes her way past him to sit down. When she does she takes a moment to look around. She watches the man walk back towards the door and make his way outside, leaving her alone. There is no sign of anything around her and she has no idea what's happening. This is taking 'exclusive showing' to a whole new level.

Suddenly, the lights dim and a single light appears on the stage in front of her. The curtain lifts, revealing a piano on the stage but nothing else. A woman makes her way out and sits on the stool at the piano, and a few seconds later a girl Brittany recognises as a dancer from the company she comes to watch every few weeks follows her out and stands in the center of the stage. The girl smiles at her and then nods her head at the woman at the piano to start playing.

Brittany relaxes a little and gets excited at the same time. Does she really have a private showing of a new musical? Are these the perks of the job when you get to the top? But then as soon as the first notes begin to pierce the silence all of the air is sucked from her lungs and she finds herself almost gasping for breath. The girl begins moving across the stage gracefully as the woman at the piano plays 'Songbird' softly.

She goes deaf and blind to anything else as her attention focuses fully on the girl on the stage. She watches intently as the dancer moves to the rhythm of the music and Brittany loses herself in it. It's only when leans forward with her elbows on her knees that she feels the wetness on her cheeks and she realises she's crying. The realisation, without the comfort that usually follows - a shoulder to lean her head on, a kiss on her forehead -, just reminds her that she isn't with Santana today and she should be. The tears don't stop as she replays Santana in high school singing this song to her with the most love and honesty she's ever seen.

The girl moves so smoothly and with such grace that Brittany is taken aback. She's always loved dance. There is something so beautiful about someone tell a story with their body that has always fascinated her, and this girl in front of her is doing just that. She doesn't know how, but she swears that this dance is expressing her relationship with Santana. Usually the arts are open for interpretation, Brittany knows that better than anyone saying she's been reporting them for seven years, but there's something about this performance that makes her one hundred percent sure that there is only one meaning.

Before she knows it, the song is over and the silence is almost deafening. Brittany feels an overwhelming urge to clap, so she does. The noise echoes through the empty theatre. The dancer bows a little and smiles at Brittany before walking off the stage, taking the pianst with her.

There are a few more seconds of silence before Brittany hears the clicking of heels coming onto the stage, and then she's there.

Santana's on the stage looking so beautiful that it takes everything in Brittany's body to stop her getting up out of her seat and running up to kiss her. Brittany looks Santana up and down, taking in every single detail about her. How she's wearing new shoes, how her skin tight turqoise dress hugs her figure in all the right places, how her smile is the most perfect thing Brittany's ever seen.

Santana makes her way to the center of the stage and it's only when she stops and turns to Brittany that she realises Santana has a microphone. Santana raises it and begins speaking.

"Brittany," she begins, and Brittany can hear how much her voice is shaking from that one word alone. "I know you're probably wondering what all of this is about, and you'll find out soon, but first I just... Thank you for coming. I know you probably didn't want to take on extra work on our anniversary but I wanted it to be a surprise and it turns out Michael is really good at keeping secrets," Santana says with a smile. Brittany is speechless.

"I needed this to be a surprise. You deserve the best and I wanted to give you it... I wanted to do something special that you'd remember."

Brittany goes to reply and Santana smiles. "Let me finish, baby. I have some things I need to say first." Brittany opens and closes her mouth a few times as if deciding whether she should keep quiet, but after a moment she decides that Santana's gone to a lot of effort to plan this so she should respect that. Even if it is killing her inside not being able to tell Santana how beautiful she looks right now.

"Brittany, you've been my girlfriend, my best friend, and my better half for five years today. Well, technically, you've been almost all of those things since the day I met you," Santana smiles, the first signs of happy tears showing in her eyes. "Every single day I wake up beside you and I honestly believe I'm the luckiest woman in the world. All I ever wanted with you when we were teenagers was a first chance, but I was lucky enough that you gave me a first chance and a second chance. When I lost you that first time I thought that was it."

Brittany can feel a lump rising in her throat and her vision is beginning to blur with tears. She brings a hand up to wipe them away so she can see Santana properly again.

"For so long I imagined how our lives would be. How you'd meet someone who'd love you and take care of you and you'd settle. I'd do the same and we'd never cross paths again. Sometimes I even thought I'd be okay with life ending up that way as long as you were happy. All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy," Santana says honestly, and Brittany mouths the words "I am" back to her. Santana melts a little.

"But the thing is... whoever you met or whoever I met and we settled down with - that's all it would ever be. Just settling. We'd have been settling for second best. I've always known, deep down in my heart, that no-one, not one other person on this goddamn planet, will ever, ever be able to love you as much as I do. If there's anything I've ever been completely certain of in my life, it's that. I will love you like no other person ever will, Brittany."

Brittany swallows. She wants to say the words back but she doesn't think she can. It feels like the words are stuck in her chest somewhere.

"Sometimes when I look at you and realise that you're my girlfriend, that you chose me over everyone else... sometimes I just have to pinch myself because I can't believe that I get to call someone as beautiful as you, mine. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen, Britt. You have the most beautiful smile, and your eyes... I could just get lost in them. And your heart... well, it might be the most beautiful part of you. You see the best in people even when they don't deserve it and you do everything you can to be nice to people and do the right thing... and I... I love that about you," Santana says, her voice cracking on the words.

Brittany sees her face turn determined as she begins to walk across the stage to the side. She sets the microphone down and picks something up, before making her way down the few steps and walking over so she's standing right in front of Brittany. When Santana's this close, Brittany can't help it when she reaches out to hold Santana's hand. Santana smiles as she takes it in her own. "I love you," Brittany manages to choke out through her tears.

"I love you, too. And that's why... that's why I want to make sure that you know that every single day for the rest of your life. I want you to know that whatever life throws your way - our way - whatever happens, no matter how much things change or how difficult things become, I will always, always love you."

Reluctantly, Santana takes her hand from Brittany's and begins to lower herself to one knee. For the first time, Brittany realises that the object in Santana's other hand is a box. For a ring. Santana raises it and opens the lid, so the diamond ring is facing Brittany.

"Britt, nothing would make me happier than spending the rest of my life with you. Would you... will you marry me?" Santana almost whispers, as her nerves threaten to take over.

Brittany feels like her heart is going to leap out of her chest. She's never felt this happy in her entire life. She didn't even know it was possible to feel this happy. To feel like you're overflowing with it, like you can't even contain it. She's crying harder now, but she's smiling even more and the words are still so difficult to say past the lump in her throat, but she laughs as she manages to choke out a "yes."

Santana's face changes, and she looks like how Brittany feels and then Brittany can't stop saying "yes, yes, yes," as she wipes at her eyes and laughs in disbelief because she's engaged to Santana. They're engaged.

Santana laughs back at her, sharing the feeling and lifts the ring out of the box. She sets the box on the ground before reaching out to take Brittany's left hand in her own. She pauses slightly before putting the ring on her finger. "Yeah?" she asks, still not really believing that this is real.

Brittany nods in confirmation and that's all Santana needs to slip the ring onto her fiancée's finger. They both admire it for a second, how right it looks. Santana looks away first, leaning up so she's on both knees in front of Brittany. She puts one hand softly on each of Brittany's cheeks, pulling her attention away from the ring and back to her.

"I love you," Santana says, and then she's kissing her. They're kissing like it's what they were born to do. The whole world shrinks to this one place, this one woman who's kissing her, and Brittany can't think of anywhere else in the world she'd rather be. It's only then that she realises that this is where she's going to be for the rest of her life. With this woman in her arms, in her mind, in her heart. One day she's going to share a last name with her, share the joy of becoming a parent with her, share every high and low point in her life with her. She feels the weight of the ring on her finger and thinks of the promises it holds, the ones they'll make one day. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, til death do us part.

Her kisses become deep and passionate as she tries to express everything she's feeling through them. She soon becomes breathless and reluctantly breaks away from Santana's lips, closing her eyes and concentrating on the feeling of Santana's hands on her cheeks and the sound of her breath.

She opens her eyes a second later, and immediately meets Santana's watery brown ones staring back at her.

"We're engaged," Brittany whispers, like it's a secret, like she can't believe it.

"We're engaged," Santana echoes in the same disbelieving tone.

"We're going to get married."

"We're going to get married," Santana echoes again, with a radiant smile on her face.

Brittany's eyes widen slightly. "You're... going to be my wife."

It seems that Santana hadn't fully let the thought sink in either because her breath hitches as the truth sinks in.

"And you're going to be mine," she whispers.

"I can't... I can't believe you did all this for me," Brittany says, as she finally remembers to thank Santana. "It was perfect, it was... I'll remember this forever. Thank you."

"Anything for you," Santana smiles back. The look in her eyes lets Brittany know that it's the absolute truth, that there are no limits to what Santana would do for her.

"But what happens now? Because this means I don't get to propose to you... I don't get to make you feel this special..."

"You already do," Santana says, running her thumbs over Brittany's cheeks softly.

Brittany lets out a shaky laugh. She doesn't know how she's going to get through life if Santana keeps taking her breath away like this and leaving her speechless. "Do you have anything else planned for this evening or can I take my fiancee home and show her how much I love her?" Brittany asks.

"Oh babe, I have a whole lifetime of surprises for you, and I'm just getting started..."