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 49th cycle. Now cycle 50!

CYCLE 50 SPECIAL FAVORITES CHART - So I've done 'favorites' cycles before, and this is another one, but since it's cycle 50, I wanted to do something special for it. So instead of the usual top 16 with a 6-chapter Boston Britt installment for Brittany (who has always been and remains number one ;)), this is how it will be: It's shift days through the cycle. Shift B will be a 21-chapter/day Boston Britt. In shift A, after the first day's 'extra' dedicated to New Directions, there will be four Top 5 lists, working their way down (all the number 5 spots, all the number 4 spots, number 3, 2, and finishing with all the number one spots)

The Top 5's are as follows (all are my 'top 5 favorite...'):
* Top 5 Series (my series)
* Top 5 Friendships
* Top 5 Characters
* Top 5 Relationships

TODAY: Top 5 Series: #2 - Trinity

This is a double shift day. There will be one more upload today: Those Are Wooden Wings, chapter 14.

"Living With the Empty Chair"
(Older) (Quinn), Brittany/Santana
Trinity series
(all series now listed under the communities tab in my profile)

It had been two weeks that day since they had lost Quinn. Once they'd returned from Lima and been faced with 'normal life,' it seemed getting through that day would only be one of the hurdles they would have to fight to leap. They had to get on, not only without their friend but also without their main means of income.

Santana had been unburdened, having Trinity to get them by. She would have jobs, but she could never seem to hang on to them, more focused on her secret work. When she would be in between jobs, she could count on picking up some shifts at the bar where she used to work, pre-Trinity, thanks to Hattie. But now it was different. Now they would be mothers, and there was no Trinity, and this child would need to be provided for. But now she had a job…

Quinn had worked at the paper, as the editor-in-chief's assistant, for a few years now, and somehow it had never interfered with Trinity. This was all by the graces of the fact her boss was a sweet old understanding woman. Santana knew this. When she had gone in to notify her of Quinn's passing, she found both herself and Brittany had been common conversation. And somehow, by the time she had left, Santana had been offered to take over in the position, take the assistant job. She would honor her friend, if anything, for leading her to the means to provide for her child.

She was returning to her desk that day, the two-week anniversary, when her cellphone rang. Her boss didn't mind, but she'd generally prefer them not to be used here, so Santana was discreet about it.

It was the receptionist from the animal clinic where Brittany worked. She was looking for Brittany, who had not shown up – or called to say she wouldn't show – for three days now. This was news to Santana, especially as her wife had been telling her about a dog they had been treating for a few days. But if she wasn't at work, then where was she? Calling her cell got her voicemail.

She had informed her boss on the situation, and the woman had told her to go look for her. When she'd started on talk of mourning, and grief, Santana knew exactly where she'd find Brittany.

She came home, and as she went up the hall, there she was, sat against the wall, facing and staring at the closed door to Quinn's room. Santana came up and sat at her side. Brittany didn't react.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" she asked after a few moments.

"I didn't want you to worry, bad for the baby," she simply stated. Santana sighed, taking her wife's hand.

"They called me. The clinic? I didn't know where you were, how do you think I felt?" her voice wasn't angry, she wasn't angry… how could she be, at her, for this…

"Oh…" the blonde bowed her head.

"Have you been sitting here all this time?" Santana asked. They hadn't gone in yet, not once, still hadn't brought themselves to, because they both had to be ready, both of them together. Santana wasn't the one who still needed time.

"Bracelet…" she breathed.

"What?" Santana asked.

"The one you gave me two years ago, with the red…" she pointed to her wrist. "I lent it to Quinn, it was… before everything, when I was taken, and we just sort of forgot… Day before last, I remembered…"

"It's still in there," Santana guessed, and Brittany nodded.

"I can't do it… Why can't I do it?" her eyes were moist, looking back to Santana. "Sat here two days ago, sat here yesterday, sat… sitting here…" she closed her eyes.

"You miss her, that's not anything to apologize for. I miss her, too," Santana promised, making her look over. "Going into that room, then she's gone for good, is that it?" One strangled sob told her all he needed to know. They remained in silence for a minute and then another. "I'll go in with you, we said we'd go together, so… you just say the word and we'll do it." Brittany turned her eyes up to the door.

"We've broken into how many places, hid, ran, got shot at… One door, no lock, and I feel like I can't breathe." This was as close to 'okay' as she'd get. Santana got back on her feet, holding her hands out to help her up. The cast had come off her ankle, but it was still sensible.

"Whenever you're ready," Santana nodded.

Brittany turned to the door, trying to characterize it as nothing more than what it was, a piece of wood, hinges, a handle… She placed her hand on the golden handle, resisting the need to look at Santana first. She almost expected the handle to catch, after being left unopened for so long, but it didn't. The door slid open.

As always, the room was spotless, everything in place, bed made… The curtains were open, letting sunlight stream in and showing the deposit of dust, the one sign of the room's disuse. Other than that, it was all exactly as she had left it, the last time, before…

Seeing the room as it was, that was one blow. Catching the lingering scent of her, that had been another. They stepped in, slowly, carefully, quietly. As much as she'd claimed herself ready, Santana couldn't deny the moment hit her hard, too.

Brittany had eased up to the desk, the jewelry box. Pulling it open, her eyes had fallen on the bracelet immediately, and the box cover slid from her grip. It drew Santana's attention, and their eyes met.

"Found it…" Brittany's voice was quiet, pointing to the box. She let out a breath, holding herself up by resting her back to the wall. "What do we do?"

"I don't…"

"Do we leave the room as it is, or… If we take everything away, what do we do with this place?"

"Well, there is one thing…" Santana took a step. "If you don't want to, we won't, but I think it might be the best… and I think she'd want it that way." Brittany looked up, understanding.

"The nursery," she spoke, and Santana nodded. Brittany whimpered, stepping up to her. "Have I been ignoring you, I don't…"

"You haven't…" Santana held her. "You've been perfect, I swear." She could feel her crying in her shoulder, and she hushed. When she pulled back, sniffling, she nodded.

"Let's do it… the nursery, in here… it's right," she managed a smile.

"Okay," Santana smiled back, moving to the jewelry box and retrieving the bracelet, which she held out to her. She took it, and they walked out of the room. "Do you want to close the door?"

"No…" Brittany shook her head. "Leave it open," she declared, and Santana agreed.

"Going back to work tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes… I swear. For today though, let's just stay here… We can talk…"

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!