Easy Money

It had been another regular Monday afternoon up until Santana stood up in front of the Glee club wringing her hands nervously and switching her weight from foot to foot. She had insisted she could do this on her own but was so very thankful in knowing that Brittany was standing not two metres away from her in support. She stared at the ground and took three deep shaky breaths.

"I've got something to tell you guys." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat.

The entire Glee club all stopped chatting and gave her their full attention. A nervous, anxious Santana was a rarity in public, this ought to be good. Brittany stood behind her at the piano with Mr Schue and Brad.

"Even though I don't see why it's any of your business or why I have to do this-" Brittany gently prodded a finger at her back. "Well, uh, I just wanted to let you know that, uh... Uh hum, that," she took a deep calming breath then spluttered out as quickly as possible. "Britt and I are together."

She held her breath as she stared expectantly into the stunned silence, then jumped almost ten feet into the air as Puck jumped out of his seat and screamed loudly. "Hell yes!" He ran down from the chairs and skidded to a halt flinging his arm around the shoulder of a very startled Santana. "Five hundred bucks, thank you very much!" He slapped Santana on the back and grabbed Brittany and flung his other arm around her too. "Knew you two could do it."

"What?" Santana finally breathed out in disbelief. What was happening?

Rather despondently Artie wheeled over and handed Puck a fat envelope. Puck couldn't wipe the shit eating grin from his face as he pulled out a thiick wad of cash and waved it in front of the club. "I'd like to thank Santana for finally getting her shit together, and also Brittany without who none of this would ever have happened."

Santana's face began to screw up in bewilderment. What the hell was going on?

"What is going on?" Her voice took on a low growl, all her nervousness had been discarded and her eyes narrowed dangerously. Puck took a step back warily.

"Dammit Santana, I had you down for next weekend," Quinn sighed. "You've waited this long couldn't you have held out for five more days?"

"I had you down for prom," Rachel sighed. "I was sure of it. It would have been so romantic." " She shook her head in regret at the missed opportunity.

"I had the day after prom," Kurt sighed in melancholy.

"Aww man, I had graduation," Finn muttered.

"What? What? What is happening? Did you all bet on me?"

Puck laughed and hugged her. "Thanks babe, I totally just made five hundred bucks. I knew you'd do it. You're so whipped."

"What? What? What?" she turned to Brittany who shrugged and nodded in agreement. Yes. Whipped.

"Why couldn't you have held onto all that angst until Christmas, huh?" Mercedes huffed.

Santana turned to stare at Brittany who was sporting a guilty, but nonetheless happy, smirk. "You knew about this?"

"Well sort of. Some people kept trying to make me hurry you up."

"Who?" Rachel demanded. "That's cheating!"

"They didn't understand when I told them that you cant be forced to do anything you didn't want to."

"This blows." Santana shoved Puck aside and made her way to the door. "I don't believe this. That's all you've got to say. Isn't anyone going to call me names, or argue, or..." she looked around hopefully.

"Santana, this is Glee club," Kurt explained patiently. "We're all with you and even if we weren't, this has been along time coming. Everyone and their dog knew this day would come."

Santana turned on her heel and headed for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Brittany followed swiftly to prevent her from leaving.

"I psyched myself up for this. I am ready and raring for a fight and everyone's all, 'Duh, whatever, you owe me money'. And my parents were all, 'Whatever Santana. We've known since you were six, stop blocking the TV' And no one even gives a shit!" She waved an arm indicating the Glee club all busily comparing notes on their bets. "I'm going to find Azimio just so I get to fight someone." She turned to leave but her storm out was halted by Brittany's strong grip on her arm. With practised ease she twirled Santana back into the room and pulled her over to the chairs to calm her down.

"Calm down. This is good. Just enjoy it while it lasts."

"I could take Azimio," Santana huffed.

"I know you could baby."

"Actually, he had you down for Halloween." Artie pushed his glasses up his nose and flicked through his notebook where a list of all of the bets was kept. "He mentioned something about dressing up being a total turn on."

A shudder ran around the room like a Mexican wave at the thought of Azimio being turned on by anything.

"I asked Karofsky if he wanted in, cos you know, you two are sort of friends."

Santana opened her mouth to protest and then closed it without saying anything. That Neanderthal was going to get it for betting on her and not telling her about it. They could have rigged the whole thing.

"Azimio was there," Mike explained. "He laughed at first and was really rude but when he realised there was money involved he and Karofsky got into some deep discussion about it and came back the next day with ten bets from the football team."

"We got a hundred bucks off the Cheerios, a hundred off the football team, hundred off glee, fifty from the AV club and a hundred off the teachers." Artie listed the gamblers. "Miss Pillsbury had you down for two months ago."

Mr Schue smiled, "Ah, ever the optimist."

"Sue put fifty bucks on any nationals competition," Quinn added.

Artie cleared his throat and consulted his notebook. "The weirdest bet was from Brad." Everyone looked over at the stoic piano player who shrugged and flicked through his sheet music. "He had you down for last year, May 3rd."

Santana smirked at him, the day of the Songbird, then her eyes landed on Puck and she frowned. "This is outrageous. Give me that money now!"

"Hell no! I earned this." Puck shoved the cash down the front of his pants.

"How did you know it'd be today, Puck?" Tina asked, curiously.

"It was a dead cert.," he smirked. "Motocross finals yesterday. Britt won, naturally." he inclined his head in a small bow to her skills. "All hot and sweaty and covered in mud." He nodded dreamily to himself. "Santana waiting in the changing rooms. To help peel her tight leather-" Quinn slapped him around the back of the head. "Ouch! Anyway, Britt's a total stud."

Britt grinned cockily then reached down and grabbed a handful of cash out of his pants.

"Hey!" he yelled too slow to react.

"We'll take this, seeing as how Santana earned it anyway. We've got big date plans."

"Alright! Lets get back to work guys. We've got some serious show choir competition to win." Mr Schue decided to break up the escalating confrontation. "Ladies." With a proud smile to Santana and Brittany he asked them to clear the floor. They went to take their seats and everyone settled down.

Santana sat in the back row with her head resting on Brittany's shoulder, glowering at everyone who turned to look at them with coos and awws and adoring noises as Brittany counted her pile of hard won cash.

"Before we start," Mr Schue announced, "How about a big hand for the newest and yet oldest couple in Glee club!"

"Yeah!"

"About time Lopez."

The club whooped and hollered their approval. Brittany grinned wildly at them all and Santana buried her face in Brittany's shoulder to hide her flushed cheeks. She'd been expecting a lot worse than flaming embarrassment for being so very, very slow, but it wasn't so bad after all she thought as Brittany kissed her on the forehead and put her arm around her waist.

"Eyes forwards unless you want to lose them," she couldn't help but snarl, and sure enough everyone turned and pretended to pay attention to Mr Schue.

Santana sighed happily and leaned comfortably into Brittany's side.

"Twenty bucks says they're married by the end of the summer," Quinn nodded to Artie who was still thumbing through his notebook.

"Twenty by the end of college," Mercedes joined in as Artie began to scribble away.

"Twenty says before summer even begins," Puck added watching Brittany thoughtfully.

Brittany giggled and leant over to kiss Santana on the nose. "Want to put a bet on?" She whispered.