The parts that are in bold are spoken Spanish.
It started on their first spring break back in Lima. At first Santana didn't think anything of it. Brittany had snuggled up to her where she laid on the couch one lazy afternoon in the Pierce family living room and started kissing her neck.
"Britt! Your parents are around here somewhere."
Brittany only giggled. "Babe, we're married now. We're allowed to kiss whenever we want."
Santana was having a hard time concentrating because of Brittany's lips roaming her throat, but she tried to form a coherent sentence.
"It's just that, mmm, if your mom, uhhh, it's the living room, darling."
"That wasn't very clear. Could you try again?" Brittany smiled and drew her teeth over Santana's collarbone.
Santana was about to continue with her protest when Brittany's hands slipped lower and her words were cut off from a moan that she couldn't stop.
"Um, ew, you two."
Santana looked up to the doorway, and Brittany's 13-year old sister Ashley stood there, twirling a set of keys on her finger. Guiltily, she moved away from Brittany, and the other woman begrudgingly sat up.
"Sorry, not sorry, Ash. We're married now, you should probably get used to it."
Ashley rolled her eyes and plopped down on the recliner across from the two newlyweds.
"I found your keys, Britt. They were in the microwave, again." She accused.
Santana raised an eyebrow and looked at her wife. "Babe, what do you need your keys for? I thought we were staying in tonight."
Brittany didn't respond right away, walking over to Ashley and taking the keys (while ruffling her teenaged sister's hair, much to the girl's annoyance), then straightening her shirt, before coming to kneel in front of Santana.
"I know, but I've got something to take care of, okay? I've got some stuff to do this afternoon, and I'll be back before it's too late. Then we'll stay in, order pizza, and introduce Ash to some of the best movies of the 90's."
Ashley sighed, rolling her eyes, but they both could see that she was looking forward to the evening.
For her part, Santana wasn't sure what Brittany was up to, but she trusted her wife, and didn't think it was necessary to push it.
"O-kay. Well, whatever it is, be safe and make sure you use protection."
Brittany mock saluted, gave Santana a long kiss that made Ashley groan, and marched out the door.
Santana turned to Ashley conspiratorially, "Why don't we make some rice krispy treats as a surprise for her once she gets back?"
Ashley smiled and nodded vigorously. "Race you to the kitchen?"
\
The second time it happened, Santana was a little more concerned. It was only a few weeks later, but Santana had promised her parents that she would come back for Easter Mass. They hadn't believed that she would go if she stayed in New York. Plus it was one of Santana's favorite times to go to church, and Brittany couldn't keep that from her. They had gone to the early morning service, and had invited some of her parent's colleagues back to the house for Easter dinner. It would have been Santana's first as a married woman, but not the first time Brittany had joined the Lopezes for Easter dinner. She'd been coming since she was 14. But Santana had still wanted to hold her hand under the table and show off their wedding rings.
Santana was in the kitchen preparing the corn fritters that her mom finally let her try to make this year. It was an old Easter tradition in her family, and she was seriously worried about messing them up. This was her fifth batch.
"Honey, taste this."
She held up the spoon for Brittany as the blonde strolled into the kitchen, wearing a pastel Easter dress, and white Chuck Taylors. Brittany brought her lips to the spoon, waggling her eyebrows suggestively as she did so.
"They're great, San. Just like the last batch and the ones before them. They're really, really good."
"Yes, but are they perfect? I want them to be perfect. My mom just let me take over and one day I'm going to be inviting her over to come to our house to have them, and I want everything to be just… just…"
She was speaking about a mile a minute. Brittany gently took the spoon out of her hand, and laid it on the counter. She then put her arms on her wife's shoulders, and turned her away from the bowl of batter.
"San, look at me, okay? Your fritters are awesome, because you're awesome. They taste great, and I'm not just saying that because I'm married to you. I've had your mom's fritters every year for the past seven years, and these are some serious competition. I think we might need to elect a new fritter queen."
Santana sighed and smiled. She could feel Brittany's touch pulling the nervous energy right out of her body.
"Thank you, Britt."
"My pleasure. Now, have you seen my keys?"
Santana smiled, and leaned back, popping open the microwave. She reached in, pulling out the keys, and jingled them in the air.
"And where do you think you're going, Mrs. Pierce-Lopez?"
Brittany smiled, and wrapped her arms around Santana, pulling her in close. Santana couldn't help but melt, wrapping her arms around the taller woman's neck.
"I've got a thing."
"A thing?"
"Yup, a thing." She placed a small kiss to Santana's forehead before grabbing the keys and taking a step back. "Dinner starts at six, right?"
"Britt-"
"I'll be back at five." Brittany winked, and strolled out of the kitchen.
Santana couldn't shake the tingling in the back of her head. What was Brittany up to, and why wouldn't she tell her? They never kept secrets from each other. She frowned. If Brittany wasn't telling her something, she must have a good reason. Santana went back to stirring the batter for her fritters. Soon she was occupied with cooking temperatures and baking sheets, but it was a long while before the frown completely disappeared.
\
It wasn't until that summer that Santana actually began to get suspicious. They had decided to stay in Lima over the summer, rather than rent an apartment in New York. Santana hadn't really wanted to come back, but Brittany had missed Lord Tubbington so much, that she couldn't really say no. They had been alternating weekly between the Pierce household and the Lopez home, and every week or so, one of their glee friends would come back into town and they would go to the movies, or go to dinner. They had even started hanging out with Sam quite a bit. It hadn't been awkward at all, considering that he had dated both of them at one point or another.
One Saturday, Santana had woken up late in Brittany's bed to find her side cold. Brittany was gone. She looked at her phone and saw a message.
Sorry I left so early, wifey. I'll be gone most of the day, but we should have time to catch up with Mercedes and Sam later for dinner. Love, Your Favorite Person in the World
Santana didn't waste a moment texting Brittany back.
Hon, this cloak and dagger stuff was cute at first, but seriously, where are you?
Santana waited a few minutes, and getting no response she immediately called her wife, but the phone went straight to voicemail.
Cursing a bit, she got up, and went downstairs. The Pierce's were sitting around the kitchen table, drinking coffee, while Ashley was on her cell phone, chatting away.
"Good morning, Santana!" Whitney practically shouted, waving from behind her newspaper. "How'd you sleep?"
Pierce looked confused, and then, suddenly, terrified. "Whitney, don't be alarmed, but there's an intruder in the house. Stranger Danger!"
Ashley rolled her eyes. "It's Santana, dad. Your daughter in law? You gave the toast at her and Britt's wedding."
Pierce thought for a moment and then grinned sheepishly. "And so I did. Morning Santa Baby."
"Morning, Pop." Santana was too distracted by what she could imagine Brittany getting into to worry about Pierce forgetting who she was for about the hundredth time. "Morning, Mom. Morning Ash."
Santana nodded at each of them in turn. Ever since she and Brittany had gotten married, Pierce and Whitney had insisted that Santana call her Mom and Dad. She'd spent so much of her formative years with the Pierces that she really didn't consider it that weird. She was really glad that she got on so well with her in laws.
"Have any of you seen Britt?" Santana continued.
Pierce raised his hand excitedly, "Ooooh, pick me, pick me."
Santana rolled her eyes, "Yeah, Dad?"
"She said something about a marathon."
Santana was confused. "A marathon? In Lima? You could run around the town ten times and it wouldn't even be two miles."
"Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it."
Whitney interrupted, "I don't know what Pierce is on about, but I know she did leave early this morning, maybe seven-ish? I had to get her keys out of the microwave."
Santana had gone from worried to pissed. The least Brittany could have done was let her know she was leaving. And what's with all this sneaking about? She didn't like it.
"Well, if you see her, tell her I'm looking for her."
"Will do." Chirped Whitney cheerfully.
"What a lovely girl." Said Pierce. "You should see if she's single. She'd be a perfect match for our Brittany."
\
Santana walked slowly back upstairs, took a shower and got dressed. Without thinking, she texted Sam.
Hey. Want to go to the Lima Bean for some joe? Your treat. Or are you still pining for your pop star princess to get in?
I'm not pining, Santana. Mercedes and I are just friends.
Suuuuuure you are. The same way Britt and I were friends in high school.
Don't remind me. :P
So, are you in or what?
I'm in. Meet there, or at the Bean?
You'll have to come and pick me up. I'm at the Pierces and Britt is nowhere to be found.
Oooh. Trouble in Paradise?
You wish, Trouty. Just get here so I can get my caffeine on.
Be there in ten.
\
Sam and Santana sat in a back booth of the Lima Bean, each with their favorite coffee. Sam was scarfing on a scone while Santana poured her heart out.
"And this is the third time this has happened!"
"Mmm, hmm." Was all Sam could manage around his pastry.
"It's just that, we tell each other everything, and this is really weird. I mean, we sometimes go out without the other, we do it all the time, but this just feels different."
"'Ifferent 'ow?"
"Different as in, she hasn't actually lied to me because I haven't actually asked her point blank but I still feel like she's hiding something, different."
Sam swallowed and took a gulp of his latte. "Britt would never cheat on you, Santana, you know that. Now, with you, that's a different story."
Santana might have blushed if it were anyone else, but she just smiled softly. "I'm not worried about her cheating, but I am worried about her worrying about me. Sometimes she gets it in her head that she has to protect me from stuff, and that she has to shield me from every bad thing in the world. I've told her again and again that I'm not fragile, but she sometimes doesn't get it. And I love her, Sam, of course I do, I married her for crying out loud, but I just sometimes wonder what's going on in that head of hers."
Sam thought for a moment. "Then why don't you ask her?"
"It's not that simple, I guess." She sighed resignedly. "I trust her. I trust her completely to never hurt me, and I know she won't. It's just not that simple."
"No, I mean, why don't you ask her right now?"
Santana looked at Sam quizzically, and followed his head nod to the front of the Lima Bean. She turned around completely in the booth to see her wife, one Brittany Susan Pierce-Lopez, at the counter, paying for some coffee and donuts. Santana's face lit up when she saw the other woman, and she turned back around, digging into her purse. Calling Brittany's number she smiled even wider when the phone began to ring.
Brittany patted her jeans pockets, and pulled out the phone, holding it between her shoulder and her ear.
"Hey my love."
"Britt, where have you been, I was looking for you."
"I got a little caught up."
"Well, I've got a surprise for you."
"Oh yeah?" Brittany's voice took on a seductive quality.
"Where are you right now?"
Santana could see Brittany freeze, bringing her hand to her head and looking around quickly. Santana ducked down behind the booth before she was caught.
"Ummm"
"Um? Where are you, honey? It's an easy enough question."
"I'm, um, at McKinley. Mr. Schue needed some help with a dance routine and I told him I'd give him some pointers."
Santana's heart stopped in her chest. Her wife had just lied to her. "Brittany…"
"Actually, San, we're getting started again. I'll talk to you later, okay? Don't worry, I'll be back in plenty of time for dinner with Samcedes."
Before Santana could reply, Brittany had hung up the phone, picked up her order, and rushed out the door. Santana only took a moment before grabbing her things and rushing after.
Sam was right on her heels. "What was that about? Why didn't she come by the table?"
"She lied to me, Sam. She lied."
Sam was speechless. He stood for a moment staring at Santana with his great guppy lips flapping open and then closed again.
"There!" Santana said, pointing to Brittany's blue Geo as it pulled out of the parking lot. She then turned back to Sam.
"Keys!" She demanded, holding out her hand.
"But.."
Santana reached into his pocket, and pulled out the keys, rushing over to the red and white truck, pulling open the door, and hopping in. Sam hesitated for a moment.
"Are you coming Trouty, or are you going to be walking home?"
With that encouragement, Sam quickly shuffled over to the truck and jumped in, not even closing the door all the way before Santana peeled away from the curb.
\
They followed Brittany a few car lengths behind because even though Santana wasn't sure if her wife would recognize Sam's truck, she didn't want to take any chances. He was thoughtful enough to leave her to her thoughts after only a few attempts at trying to allay her fears.
How could Brittany have lied to her? They share everything, and now she's out, doing who know what with who knows who? And it's not like she doesn't trust Brittany. She trusts Brittany to the ends of the Earth, but it's those other suckers that she doesn't trust. Those who would mistake Brittany's kindness for romance, or her openness and innocence for stupidity.
It was only after they had been driving for about ten more minutes that bells of recognition started going off in her mind. They were heading towards Lima Heights Adjacent. She knew this area like that back of her hand. It's where she spent many days as a kid, playing at her grandmother's house.
She hadn't really seen much of her abuela since the wedding. Though her grandmother, Alma, had been happy enough at the ceremony, Santana still felt as though she hadn't completely accepted the both of them, and she didn't want to subject Brittany to her grandmother's stiff and awkward attempts at being hospitable.
Her train of thought was interrupted by Sam who cleared his throat awkwardly.
"She's stopped."
Santana followed his pointing finger to the blue car parked a few houses ahead. She quickly pulled over, and, eyes wide, stared after Brittany.
"So, maybe she is in some trouble, San. I mean, this isn't exactly the safest neighborhood in town, and, I dunno, I heard some rough people live over here."
Santana gave him a fierce side eye, "Shut it, Trouty. These are my people."
"I know you say you're from Lima Heights Adjacent, Santana, but I've seen your actual house. You could fit five of my houses in your one house. Your dad's a doctor, and your mom's a lawyer. You guys aren't from the hood." Sam rolled his eyes.
Santana punched him in the shoulder.
"Ow!"
"Well, I'm still hood enough to go all Lima Heights on your sorry ass. Now get out of the car, we're going after her."
Santana had watched Brittay go up the sidewalk, and with a confidence that Sam certainly didn't mirror, she got out of the car, and walked quickly to the side of the house.
"Santana!" Sam whispered harshly behind her. "I don't know if this is a good idea. We don't even know who lives here!"
"You don't know who lives here, Bass Face, but I do."
"Huh?"
"Follow me."
She walked quickly around to the back of the house, with Sam right on her heels. Reaching down, she overturned a rock and picked up a house key, winking at Sam as she did so.
"How did you-?"
Santana put her finger to her lips, and unlocking the door, slipped inside. She tiptoed through the familiar kitchen, passing the pan of rice and beans heating in the slow cooker that her parents had bought last year as a Christmas present, and kept going until she could see the living room.
She hadn't been in that house for so long. She looked around slowly and thought of her last memory in this kitchen. The sadness. The fear that she was afraid would have broken her. She touched a kitchen towel with a bright rooster design. She wondered how a place that had such bad memories for her could still feel like home.
Suddenly there was a gasp from the living room. Sam and Santana looked quickly at each other, before turning back. But the gasp sounded like it was coming from the TV, and not the houses' inhabitants.
"Just put them down anywhere, Brittany. You're missing the best part."
"Has Don Ortega told his mistress Marissa about Vivianne's baby?"
"He's just about to! I can't believe we're almost 15 episodes in, and this is the most important scene!"
Santana ventured a little bit more towards the doorway, with Sam breathing down her neck behind. She smacked him in the shoulder, and nodded to the other side of the doorway, indicating that it might be better for him to observe from there. Rubbing his shoulder, he complied, and she turned her attention back towards the scene in the living room.
There on the couch, legs folded beneath her, and chewing on a donut was her wife. Brittany's eyes were big and round as she watched the television. Alma Lopez sat on the couch as well, knitting needles working steadily in her hand. Even the loud voices from the television couldn't distract her from looking at the two of them.
Marissa. There is something… Something you should know.
What is it Don Ortega?
It's-it's….
Whaaaaat?
I am not Don Ortega! I am his evil quintuplet. Don Julio.
Oh my God!
Brittany giggled and clapped her hands.
"I knew it! After Don Paulo had his kidney removed to give to his ex-wife Sylvia, he lost the birthmark that would match up with the one that Don Ortega got from that sword fight with President Alvarez."
"You're very bright, Brittany. Now, come stand over here for a moment, so I can see if this will fit."
Brittany stood up and walked over to Alma, never taking her eyes from the TV. Alma held the unfinished quilting over Brittany, pulling here and adjusting there until she was satisfied.
"Okay, Nieta. Go sit down. I think I have it."
Brittany nodded happily and bounded back over to the couch.
Sam was shocked. He had met Alma at Brittana's wedding, but he didn't know Britt and she were such good friends. Of course, he didn't really have a firm grip on what was going on in general. He kicked his foot out to Santana.
"What are they saying?" He whispered. "I don't speak Spanish."
Santana looked at him, and he could see the tears glistening in her eyes, and even some rolling down her face.
"Santana, what…?"
He was interrupted by Brittany who had heard a noise, and come over to investigate.
"Santana? Sam? What are you-?" Her eyes went wide again. "Honey, I can explain, I just thought that if you knew about the telenovelas… And you know how much I love Amor es Una Cosa Justa, and I thought you might judge me a little, and so… Honey, are you crying?"
Brittany didn't finish as Santana crossed the room, and took her wife up in her arms. Santana squeezed her tight, the tears flowing freely now.
Alma turned and standing up, maneuvered Sam back into the kitchen, telling him she was going to 'fix him up some rice and beans'.
Brittany found herself almost off her feet with the ferocity of Santana's hug. And it was only after a few moments of her hugging the shorter woman back and cooing softly into her hair that the tears stopped and Santana was able to speak again.
"She called you Nieta."
"What's the big deal about that?" Sam said, coming into the living room, his mouth full, before plopping down on the couch.
"It means granddaughter, Sam." Brittany explained.
Santana turned to see her abuela coming out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. She searched her eyes for a moment before enveloping the woman in a hug of her own.
"You called her Nieta."
Alma lowered her head, bashfully. "I just do it sometimes. If that's not okay…" Her voice trailed off before Santana wrapped her up in another hug.
"Of course it's okay. Why wouldn't it be?"
"It's just that… the way I treated you. Treated both of you… I wasn't sure if you'd have me back. If you'd accept me. I knew that it would be hard for you."
"Grandma. You know that I'll always love you."
"I know, Santanita. And I also know you're one of the most forgiving people I've ever met. But I was a little ashamed. I've gotten to know Brittany, and she is an angel. I couldn't have asked for a better person for you. God could not have blessed me more than with this girl."
Brittany smiled bashfully and put her arm around Alma.
"But why didn't you tell me?" Santana said, switching back to English.
"I can answer that one." Brittany cut in. "I kind of asked her not to."
Santana raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"
"I guess I was kind of embarrassed."
"Embarrassed of what? Hanging out with my abuela?"
"No, no, of course not." Brittany said, shaking her head quickly. "I know you don't like telenovelas, and I thought you might make fun of me. It's just that they're just so good, Santana. Like, really, good. We're marathoning this one now called Love is a Righteous Thing, and it's so good, and…"
"Babe, babe." Santana held her hands up. "You don't have to explain anything to me. I'm glad you two are hanging out. Maybe next time you can invite me?"
Brittany smiled widely. "Even to watch telenovelas?"
"Even to watch telenovelas."
"Whiiiiiiipped." Sam called from the couch.
"Can it, Evans."
Alma reached out and took Santana's hand. "If you'd like, I'd love for you and your friend to stay and watch with us."
Santana smiled, wrapping her left arm around Brittany, and her right around her abuela.
"We'd love to. Sam, we're staying for soap operas."
Sam shrugged, shoveling more food into his mouth. "I just need someone to translate for me, if I get lost. I did have Mr. Schue as a Spanish teacher after all."
Santana and Brittany laughed, but Alma advanced on Sam, swatting at him with her dishtowel, until he only took up a corner of the couch.
"Make room for my Santanita and her wife! They are going to sit together."
"Yes ma'am. Sorry, Mrs. Lopez."
Santana smiled and kissed Brittany gently on the shoulder. "This is so surreal, but I like it."
Brittany smiled down at her wife, returning the kiss, but to her lips. "I like it, too."
Sam interrupted them again. "Okay, okay, quit making out and set up this story for me. "
Brittany laughed and sat down on the couch, her legs in Santana's lap, while Alma made herself comfortable in a nearby arm chair, and picked back up her knitting needles.
"Well, it all started with this guy, Don Ortega…"