Lima was home base, sure they all had left after high school but they came back for most holidays to spend them with family. From Thanksgiving to New Years various members of the New Directions would return and reminisce about their years at McKinley over lunch or dinner at Breadstix.
The day after Thanksgiving the Christmas decorations went up around town, the large tree in the park had been decorated and the tree lighting ceremony was held the first day of December. Not wanting to leave anyone out the decorations in the park covered the largest of the holidays with a nativity scene, a large menorah and a large kinara.
They were grouped by the door, exccept the two that had carefully scurried away to the restroom, one of the bus boys had a wet floor sign and a mop to dry up the melted snow on the floor. Mercedes pulled her beanie off quickly fixing her hair, shoving her hood back Santana shook her head to get her hair to fix itself while Rachel tugged off her gloves.
Santana smirked watching the hostess scurry away from them. "Girl how is it they're still scared of you after all these years?" Mercedes shook her head.
"They probably have her picture up in the back office." Rachel quipped.
"Miss Mercedes." the manager approached the small group.
"Ha, see wasn't me Wheezy." Santana bumped Mercedes.
"Oh shush." Mercedes muttered before smiling at the woman in front of them. "Sandy! You're manager now? Congratulations."
"Thank you, let me show you to your table, we have three baskets of breadstix..."
"Yes." Santana growled throwing a fist up in excitement.
Mercedes chuckled as did Sandy as she continued "One is our new garlic, normally an item to request but I was sure one of you would like to try them." she glanced back at Santana "I took the liberty of getting you a large table as it would be difficult for two of you to slide in a booth."
"Thank you." Rachel smiled resting her hand on her belly.
"Sure there's not two in there?" Santana teased.
Rachel glared "Just one." because of Rachel's size Santana had taken to teasing her that she was having twins.
"B!" Santana waved at Brittany and Quinn to get their attention, smiling Brittany waved back before linking arms with Quinn, her free arm held both of their coats.
"The way you two coddle her you'd think this was her first baby." Mercedes shook her head. "Speaking of, where is Beth?"
"Puck and Lauren have her for the night." Santana smiled as her blondes joined them.
"Sorry, he thinks my bladder is his pillow." Quinn smiled hugging Rachel, the only person she hadn't seen yet. "How's he doing?" Quinn glanced at Rachel's smaller belly.
"I swear he wedges his fingers in between my ribs." Rachel answered putting her jacket on the back of her chair like the other girls had,
"Beth did that." Quinn nodded sympathetically.
"So where is Finnocence?" Santana asked pulling the chair out for Quinn.
"Chrissy has dance tonight and a performance coming up so he took her so at least one of us could make dinner. Thanks." Rachel smiled taking her chair that Mercerdes had pulled out for her.
"And Tina's not here why?" Mercedes asked.
"She wanted to be with Mike and he wasn't able to come home this year." Brittany shrugged, handing her phone to Sandy she asked "Can you take a picture of us please?"
"Of course." waiting for them to all be seated and some what leaned together Sandy took a couple pictures before handing Brittany back her phone, the menus were already on the table.
"And Sam?" Rachel pushed.
"Photo shoot, he'll be here in the morning." Quinn answered.
"So what is everyone doing, I mean it takes big news or a holiday to get us to talk these days." Rachel pushed.
"Working on a new album." Mercedes smiled, Santana was already her most vocal back up singer, the one that got all the solos but Brittany had joined the ranks of back up singer too. "Then we are going on tour..."
"With a stop to see your honey." Santana winked, Brittany giggled, they had fun double dating with Mercedes and Shane.
"Must be difficult, traveling and not getting to see him." Rachel said softly.
"He travels with us during the off season." Mercedes admitted "But I mean you know how it goes, you in New York for your shows and Finn back here."
"Frequent flyer miles, many train rides." Rachel nodded. "But we've made it work."
"Obviously." Santana smirked giving a glance at Rachel's stomach.
"Having kids changed everything." Rachel rested her hand on her stomach "When Chrissy was born I took time off, when I went back to work Finn came up to New York for a while but then school started and I couldn't ask him to give it up, so he came back here with Chrissy. I commuted as much as possible."
"It takes a lot to make any relationship work, throw kids in the mix..." Quinn shook her head "Beth and Sam were best friends when we dated but once we got married it was horrible, they used to go toe to toe on everything, her toys, her dirty clothes. It was the whole 'You're not my dad', thankfully Puck helped her understand, he called Sam her stand-by old man, someone that was helping me out when he coudn't."
"But they got through that." Mercedes reached across the table giving Quinn's hand a squeeze.
"They did and she's so excited to be a big sister, although she'd rather have a dog." Quinn shook her head.
"I'm not sure Chrissy understands yet, she just knows Mommy's getting bigger." Rachel said picking up her menu like she didn't already know what she was ordering.
"What about Hanukkah and Christmas? Beth was closer to 5 when she started to understand it better."
"She gets the presents and family part of it but not the religious part of it." Rachel answered Quinn.
None of them really had to look at the menu so when Sandy returned they ordered their food and drinks, "You were right, these are really good." Santana held up one of the garlic breadstix, Sandy nodded with a knowing grin.
The conversations flowed easier than they had in high school but then they were all dating or engaged (Mercedes) to other people and not fighting over anyone (Finn, Brittany) so everyone got along. "I'd love to step outside and not see your husband half naked on a bus." Santana teased Quinn when the conversation came around to Sam and his modeling.
"If it was Britt, you'd be pointing it out to everyone..." Mercedes laughed.
"And telling them how hot she is..." Quinn shook her head amused.
"And that she's your wife." Rachel added pointing a fork at Santana.
Santana shrugged with a smirk "Q's not the only one married to a hot blonde with killer abs."
"Someone has to be sexy." Brittany shrugged before taking a huge bite of her pasta.
"Ugh, I wish I could eat like that and not gain weight." Mercedes rolled her eyes.
"It's the dancing, it burns it off." Rachel pipped up "Oh, you guys are coming right, to Chrissy's recital?"
"Wouldn't miss it." Mercedes smiled.
"We got her silk flowers." Brittany nodded, she remembered Chrissy hated when the flowers Finn got Rachel died, so they bought the little girl silk flowers.
"I'm just glad she leaned towards your dance skills and not Finn's cause she could take an eye out at her height." Mercedes chuckled, Chrissy had gotten Finn's height but thankfully Rachel's dance ability so at three she stood as tall as the average 5 year old making Rachel feel even smaller than she was.
"One broken nose was enough." Santana agreed.
Dinner finished the group all took their go boxes, one completely full of breadstix for Santana, freshly made and handed to her by Sandy, and went home. Mercedes was staying at her parents house while Santana, Brittany and Quinn were staying with Brittany's parents in the pool house, which of course was decorated for Christmas.
Yawning Rachel closed and locked the door that lead from the garage to the house, Finn would run lock up before bed and double check. The Christmas lights were softly blinking in the living room, she was sure she would find them there, the menorah remained on the fire place mantle ever though Hanukka was over, after Christmas the menorah and other Hanukka items were tucked in their totes by Rachel and Finn took care of the Christmas decorations. Rachel also sent out a Hanukka/Christmas letter the day after Thanksgiving to Shelby and other relatives and any New Direction she had an address for detailing their year. Brittany kept them in a shoe box in the bottom of her closet.
Still in her tutu Chrissy was sleeping on Finn's chest, not something she could pass up Rachel took a phot before waking Finn with a kiss. Finn grinned softly saying "Hey."
"Hi." Rachel smiled, "How was practice?"
"It was good." cuddling the 3year old to his chest Finn sat up "She wanted to say good night to you, she tried to stay up."
"I'll put her to bed if you carry her in there."
"Of course." Finn nodded.
"So they're all coming to her program, Sam will be in tomorrow so you'll at least have another guy around." Rachel informed him as he easily stood with their daughter, "We should put on Christmas music for the party and have Christmas movies playing in the playroom for Beth and Chrissy."
"Kurt called while you were at dinner, he and Blaine will be able to make it so Spencer will be here too."
"I wish we had someone closer to Beth's age for her to play with, maybe Brittany can bring her sister? I'll call her in the morning, she's great with Chrissy." Finn nodded following Rachel to Chrissy's bedroom, Finn kissed Chrissy's forehead before depositing her on her bed, her room of course was princesses.
"I'll be right in." pushing up on her toes Rachel kissed him, covering a yawn Finn nodded heading for their bedroom.