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 42nd cycle. Now cycle 43!

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** UPDATED WITH CYCLE 43 CHEAT SHEET ** Check it out to find out about shift days!

This is a shift day [see above]. There will be another upload this afternoon: Familiar Strangers, chapter 6.

"Step Fifteen, Take Perspective"
Kurt & Santana, Brittana
Paper Heart #16 (following & companion to Step Fourteen...)

A/N: This is almost emotional, I've had this story written for two months 'cause it came to me all at once ;)

Santana wasn't a frequent visitor of the library, at least on her own, and least of all to work. She didn't like it and preferred to be elsewhere. Lately though, it had become almost easier to just find a corner, sit down, and get her work done. She was doing just that when she saw someone come up out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and watched Kurt take a seat across from her. He looked at her, didn't speak, just… looked. After a moment she decided if he wasn't going to say anything then she would ignore him and get back to work, but even that stopped working after a minute or two; she could still feel his eyes.

"What's up, Kurt?" she obliged, looking up.

"I need to talk to you about something," he started and she put her pen down.

"Alright, go for it." He moved from the seat across from her to the seat to the left of her.

"What are you doing?" he stated simply, with a half nod. She frowned, looking down at her work as though to say 'that.' "Not what I meant," he shook his head. "Look, I'm gay…" She gave a mock sort of gasp, putting her hand over his as though this was brand new information.

"I am going to need a moment to adjust to this, but don't you worry about a thing," she carried on the act.

"You're hilarious," he squinted. "Now let me finish."

"Fine," she sat back with a smirk.

"What I'm trying to say is this whole thing, with you and me and Brittany and the baby, it's not exactly the most common of situations, but there are things you have to be aware of, all of us do."

"Okay now I think you're losing me." He sighed.

"Let me tell you a story."

"Oh, please, not this," she shook her head.

"I said let me finish," he raised a finger, so she waved her arm, 'giving him the floor.' "Thank you. You should like this, it's a story about you." She smirked. "You and Brittany." Her smirk remained, but with a twinge of cautiousness. "Now I'll be the first to admit, when I first had to… deal with you, I didn't have particularly happy feelings… no offence."

"None taken."

"From what I could tell, the two of you were friends… close friends… close, close friends."

"Okay, I think we've established we were friends," she intervened.

"I never took it too seriously, didn't have to. Then over time, being in Glee Club, I started to think there were crazier things than the possibility that you liked each other as something more than friends. Neither of you said anything, but then I guess you could say I'm in an excellent position to see through things left unsaid." She wasn't talking, but the smirk had faded into seriousness so very slowly. "And then the baby happened, and suddenly we got to see a lot more of each other, all of us."

"Yeah…" she breathed.

"And then all the lights just came on."

"Kurt…"

"You love her…"

"Look, I have a lot of work to do, so…"

"… and she loves you." The evasive plan fell apart. "So that's the story. There it is. Now comes the next part, the one that hasn't been written yet. Me and her, yes, we're having this baby. But we're never going to be a couple. I like boys, and she likes… well, you." He paused, observing her. "You've been with us from the very beginning. The day she found out she was pregnant, you know how terrified she was, how she couldn't go home. The only way she would calm down was to know you were on your way. You've been doing that a lot, giving her peace. You've looked out for her, made sure she would be okay, physically, mentally. You have been there, and I don't know that I ever told you how thankful I am. You've been a good friend, to her, and to me."

"Bet you never thought that would happen…" she found herself saying.

"Not once."

"I guess we are friends now," she agreed.

"So as your friend, I will say this. If you want in to this whole parenting unit, more so than you already have, then you should talk to her."

"I never said I…"

"Santana, I look at you, how you've been since this started, and I know that when this baby comes, you're going to love him, care for him, protect him, just as much as me or Brittany will." She looked to him, and she couldn't deny he'd spoken in complete truth even if she tried.

"I know it probably sounds very simple to you…"

"I think we covered the fact that…"

"That you're out, and your father is a gay teen's dream, congratulations," she countered.

"Have you ever considered it? Telling your parents?" She was rolling her pen back and forth with her index finger, searching for words.

"I'm not even sure what there would be to say…" she averted her eyes.

"Well, there's no rush," he got up, which got her to look up at him. "We've got a doctor's appointment next Thursday."

"I know," she shrugged, then paused like she'd said something that proved his point.

"You should come with us. You can see the baby on the screen, hear the heartbeat… The DVD does not do it justice," he spoke encouragingly.

"I… Maybe…" she hesitated.

"I know Brittany would be really happy if you came," he went on.

"Okay, you can stop, I get the picture," she took a breath. "I'd ask you if you're sure it's okay, but considering you just gave me the kind of speech that's usually underscored by a swelling orchestral piece, I guess that's all the answer I need."

"So will you come?" She took a moment, then looked back to him.

"I'll be there," she nodded. "Does it really look like an alien?" she couldn't cover her smirk much longer.

"A cute one," he nodded smiling. "But looking more and more like a person every time. Maybe you can weigh in to the whole… boy/girl debacle." She smiled.

"You're on."

THE END

A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!