Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 16th cycle. Now cycle 17!

"Mother Made of Steel"
Sue & Brittany
Sylvesters Series #14 (direct sequel to Inside & Out)

She had managed to make it off without getting in trouble for… anything she had done 'wrong' in this whole bad reputation situation, and still there was a part of it which she continued to feel on the inside. Everything else was shuffled off like so many other things in her brain, but this different… it usually was, when her mother was involved…

At the time, she'd gotten pulled into the fun of things. Most notably, she had been floored with smiles and giddiness upon seeing the revamped 'Physical' video co-starring good ol' Mom. This was a side of her mother she hardly ever got to see… anymore. When she did though, it brought back memories, of childhood, with her. She had grown up being nurtured with her mother's musical heroes. She had danced to that very video back then, though it'd be a while before she understood the song… Then in all the video making and the general hijinks in their attempts to raise their Glist rankings, she had been less aware of the flipside… her mother.

She came home, very carefully shutting the door, not to alert… "Brittany!" … her mother. She waited a beat before turning and following the call. She found her in her office, reading over something. Brittany took a seat, waited. "So I hear Glee Club is now giving performances in the library?" She looked up to her daughter, who lowered her head.

"Well…" her voice drifted.

"I don't know what's worse, that you did it, or that you did it wearing parachute pants." The mention of those produced a reflex smile in the girl.

"Those were funny," she nodded.

"Were they?" Sue sat back in her chair.

"Ye… No," Brittany shook her head. "I'm sorry," she spoke after a beat.

"Well, hopefully you'll have learned not to follow MC Hair Gel wherever…"

"Not about that," Brittany shook her head again, "Well, not just that." She looked back at her, watching her briefly squirm on her chair. "It's about the video…"

"Yes?" Sue asked, making Brittany squirm some more.

"I didn't… I thought you could take it." Sue's face shifted. "I didn't think it would affect you or anything."

"I don't know what you…"

"You're wearing your courage track suit," Brittany's eyes turned aside. Sue frowned, as though to say 'don't be ridiculous.' "You wore it when Tess Baker-Wyatt broke her leg right before Nationals."

"Amateur," Sue shrugged.

"When the dry cleaners ruined all our uniforms… and your underwear."

"Better off without him."

"When they were going to shut down Aunt Jean's home, you put the anger shoes, too, 'cause they're comfy and you can stomp around," she gestured this with her hands. She couldn't muster a reply to this one. "I am sorry," Brittany went on.

"Oh, stop apologizing," she shook her head. "I'll be fine, don't you worry."

"I loved your video though," she nodded with a smile, which made Sue smirk. "We watched it like five times in a row." She paused. "But you weren't okay before," she pointed out. "You never talk to me about those things. You go to Aunt Jean," she looked back down. Sue watched her, sighed to herself at seeing her daughter feeling like this, separate.

"Brittany, look at me," Sue leaned forward. "Look at me," she asked again when she hadn't done it. "I'll be honest, yes, I haven't been… sharing these things with you, but you shouldn't see that as a bad thing, okay?"

"But why…"

"Why would I want you to know about anything like that?" Sue asked, eyes softening; her daughter's were the same.

"Because I want you to," she looked to her mother. "You always tell me I should tell you when something's wrong, so why won't you do it, too?" She slowly came to nod.

"Right… Fair enough," she replied. "Maybe I should reconsider," she admitted, getting up. "I know it's a week early, but how about we move up our restaurant night?" Brittany looked up, interested.

"Okay," she nodded.

"And then I can tell you… some things, not everything," she specified. Brittany stood and they left the office, heading out to the car.

"It's my turn to pick the restaurant," Brittany pointed out.

"I remembered," she promised. "Just not anything too heavy; practice tomorrow."

"I'm sure we can hold the plate up," Brittany frowned at the mention of heaviness. Sue didn't question it.

THE END

[A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, story alert won't get you anything! ;)]