Sweetie Pie's Bakery

Brave

"Are you nervous? Angry? Are you gonna punch her?" Jess grimaced, giving the blonde a worried sidelong glance as they left the elevator, but Quinn chuckled.

"No, I just want to get it over with." She knocked on the door with her free hand, and Santana answered a few moments later, looking surprised and a little hopeful, although Quinn tried to ignore that.

"Quinn, hi! What's up, are you okay?" she tried to smile, but it didn't disguise the worry on her face. She had been sat trying to think of big romantic gestures to try and get Quinn back, and this was definitely a surprise.

"I still have your stuff. So...I thought you'd want it back." She looked at the floor as she held out the bag, averting her eyes from the sight of Santana's face falling with disappointment,

"Oh. Well, thanks. Do you wanna come in or anything?" she asked hopefully, looking between the girls, but Jess glanced over at the blonde, who took a breath and shook her head slowly,

"No. I don't want to. And...I don't want you to come by the bakery and all of that. I can't just...see you around...anymore. It's not fair. You hurt me, and you can't just talk it away, with cupcakes and apologies and hope I'll forgive you." She looked down at her hands, swallowing back tears.

"Quinn, please, just stay and talk to me, and let me explain." Santana frowned, gazing desperately at the blonde, who shook her head in disbelief,

"I don't want your explanations, Santana! It's too late. You fucked up, now you just have to live with it, alright? Do you think I want to walk away right now?" The tears glistened in the blonde's eyes as she glared at Santana "I don't. I want to stay, and keep my stuff here and take your stuff back to mine, and for everything to be rosy. But you can't just go around treating people however you want and expect there to be no consequences! You hurt me. So, you don't get the right to explain."

"Okay. I'm sorry." She bowed her head, averting her eyes from the blonde's tears, and Quinn nodded with a sad finality, placing the bag down at Santana's feet with a sigh

"Okay then. Goodbye, Santana." She took a step back out of the apartment, turning on her heel

"Bye." Santana swallowed, and Jess gave her arm a squeeze before following after the blonde, who was now waiting in the lift. It was then that Santana's eyes fell on the photo at the top of her pile of belongings. It was a photo from the time she and Quinn had won the karaoke competition at the bar. Brittany had taken the photo, and it was on a slight angle, taken from the floor while the girls stood on the stage.

It was a close-up shot of Quinn and Santana, holding the red and gold trophy between them. The blonde's arm was slung around Santana's neck, pulling her tight towards her with her face pressed against the brunette's cheek with a triumphant grin. Santana's teeth were bared in a grimace, and the girls' hair was messy from celebrating. Quinn's grimace looked more cute than intimidating, and Santana remembered falling off the stage immediately after the photo was taken. She had tried to grab onto Sam as she fell, but only succeeded in pouring his drink over her as she clattered to the floor. Quinn had helped her up and even swapped shirts with her before helping her hobble home in fits of giggles.

She could hear her heart beat growing faster and her stomach turn, and in a split second she made a decision. She darted out of the apartment, grabbing Jess' wrist as she sprinted down the hall, reaching into the elevator and slamming the Close Doors button as she passed,

"Santana, what are you do-"

"Shut up!" she carried on running, dragging Jess down the stairs behind her "Okay, you're gonna get in the elevator on the next floor down!" she hit the Call Elevator button of the floor below her own as they ran past it, ignoring Jess' frown "It'll stop on this floor on the way down, which will buy time" She kept on running down to the next floor down, punching the Call Elevator button on this floor, and releasing Jess "When it gets to this floor, get in!" she was now running backwards down the hall, away from a stunned Jess "As soon as you're between floors seven and six, I want you to hit every single button in that elevator. But do not let the alarm get pushed! Promise me!"