Title: I'll Be Home For Christmas
Pairing: Quinn/Santana – Quinntana
Summary: Part of the Season's Greetings saga. Santana is on a business trip, and she's left trying to get home in time for Christmas with her wife and children.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the show nor its characters, just the writing.
…
December 24th: Boston, Massachusetts – Boston/Logan Airport - 4:00 p.m.
Santana knew it was a bad idea to agree to go on this trip. She knew that going home the afternoon of Christmas Eve was risky, but did she listen to her instinct? Nope—she needed that contract and she got it. Merry Christmas to her, but yet here she sat—delayed for five hours already at her gate.
The snow was piling up and she really did not want to miss her son's first Christmas. It was a big deal—Quinn told her, which she knew. And she swore she was going to make it. She had high hopes that she would, regardless of what the weather reports were saying.
She sighed heavily as she worked on her computer, with ear buds in when her Skype started going off. She saw it was Quinn instantly, so she answered it.
Instantaneously, her face popped up on the screen, lighting up Santana's expression immediately. She loved this woman whole heartedly—she couldn't stand it. And it wasn't just because she was the mother of her children.
"Hey baby, any change on your flight?" Her voice rang through her ears and Santana just shook her head with an annoyed expression. Quinn sighed, giving her a sympathetic look. She wanted her to be back in New York as much as Santana did, so she knew this was stressful.
"The snow won't stop piling down. It's insane! I mean look at this shit!" Santana told her, holding the laptop up to expose the blizzard happening outside the large airport window.
She heard Quinn gasp, then brought it back to face her. Santana was looking at her with sad eyes. She honestly didn't know what to do and she was positive she wasn't getting out of this airport.
"Maybe I can take a car or something," Santana grumbled as Quinn began shaking her head in refusal.
"No, no babe, you are not driving out there. It's not much better here, believe me. Just wait there and if you can't get a flight out today, then you can't. There's nothing you can do," Quinn reasons as Santana hears running footsteps coming closer to the computer when a little brown head pops up, taking over the entire screen.
"Mama. Mama!" Their four year old daughter, Juliana yells as Quinn pulls her face out of the computer. Santana just laughs at the little girl—always being nosey and always wanting to be center of attention. Sometimes she wondered if she was Rachel's kid, then she remembers she was the same way and disregards that thought.
"Honey, here sit on my lap," Quinn says picking the girl up and resting her on her leg. "There all better?" Juliana just nods, her brown locks bobbing at the question.
"Hi Mama! When you coming?" She's loud when she speaks, but only because she seems to think people can't hear her—her mothers have to remind her differently.
"I'll be home soon. It's just snowing really bad right now," Santana replies to her, only to have her pout at the response. She was definitely a Mama's girl and she wanted her to be home for Christmas—she just had to.
"What 'bout Christmas?" She asks her and what can you say to a four year old when they ask that? She can't say she doesn't know if she'll make it or not. The fact is Santana was determined to get home to them.
"I'll be there. I promise you I'll be home for Christmas," Santana tells her, lighting up Juliana's face almost instantly. She giggles at this when the little girl slides off Quinn's knee and kisses the screen, before running off.
Quinn smiles as she watches her leave to another room, then turns back to her wife on the screen. "You can't promise her that," she mumbles, resting her chin on her hand that's now propped up on her knee.
"Quinn, I can't tell her I won't be. It'll upset her and she's four," Santana tells Quinn, who just sighs in response. This has never happened to them before and it's incredibly stressful on them. They're usually together every year and the thought of not being able to this year tore them apart, especially Santana since she's the one stuck in the airport.
"San, just think about how devastated she'll be when you're not there tomorrow," Quinn informs her and Santana closes her eyes.
"Yeah I'm well aware, okay. I can't do anything about making the plane get here, I can get that rental car, but someone told me I couldn't drive in this weather!" She's frustrated and some of the other straggler travelers look over at her direction. She silently apologizes to them and looks back at the screen.
"Look I'm sorry baby," Quinn apologizes. "I just—I hate this," she places her head in her hands and runs her fingers through her hair.
"I hate this as much as you do and I promise you I will try my best to get there," Santana exclaims softer and Quinn nods.
"Yeah, you're right. Okay, I love you," Quinn says, giving her a small smile which is easily returned.
"I love you too and I'll be home soon," Santana assures, before they disconnect. Santana sighs heavily watching her screen for a moment, before closing it down and deciding to walk around the airport since it's going to be awhile.
Santana strolled with her computer bag and jacket in tow, looking around in the stores. She got her gifts earlier for her family before she left, but she wondered if she could get them something else for all of this trouble.
She walked in the store and saw all the candy, before shrugging—Quinn loved candy, so she grabbed some packages of gummy worms and a stuff dog and a light blue bear. She went to the cashier and placed them on the counter.
"Long night?" The cashier asked and Santana rolled her eyes.
"You have no idea," she breaths out as she rings up all her purchases.
"Where you headed?" The cashier with the name tag 'Emily', she's young—probably close to the age of a sophomore in college. She had blonde hair and blue eyes—weirdly enough she reminded Santana of Brittany when she was younger.
"New York, trying to get home to my kids and wife," she tells her in a slight grumble. Santana knew Emily was making small talk, hence why she was trying to be polite. Santana also managed to get use to the idea of when she speaks to strangers, she speaks highly about her family. If they find something wrong with it, well she'll have them deal with Snix and nobody liked when Snix broke out; those strangers will certainly get a taste of it.
"Ah I'm sorry this weather is such a bitch," Emily comments to her, making Santana breath out a laugh but nod in agreement. "Your total is 20.67," Santana pays Emily.
"Keep the change," Santana tells her, making Emily smile widely.
"Thank you Miss. Merry Christmas and I hope you make it home to your family in time," she tells her, forcing Santana to smile softly at her and grab her bag—for once she felt slightly hopeful. She wasn't sure why talking to Emily made her feel that way; she just felt a little less stressed and more at ease.
…
Santana went back to her gate and checked the monitor—things didn't seem any better, so she sat down for a moment to really think of an idea. She could take a taxi, but that could get pricy and she'd rather put her life in her own hands rather than someone else in this snow. She was really thinking Mother Nature was a bitch right now.
She checked her phone and it was already eight, Juliana and Nikolai, their son should be asleep by now. When it came time to look for names, Santana wanted a Spanish name and Quinn wanted a Russian name, so when they were having Juliana and didn't know the sex just yet, they narrowed their choices to one boy and one girl, hoping their next child would be a boy—thankfully it worked out as planned.
Santana flipped through her phone at some of her pictures and some were of her and Quinn, doing the typical couple pictures, kissing, cuddling, then there was a picture of just Quinn sleeping—Santana took it early one morning because she looked so beautiful, not that she didn't always. As she continued to flip through them, there was one of Quinn in the hospital when Nikolai was born. She smiled at it when she saw how happy Quinn looked with their sleeping little boy.
Then she got to one that she didn't remember ever having. Nikolai wasn't in it, but she knew that he was already born. It was a picture of her and Juliana sleeping in hers and Quinn's bed, but Quinn was on the other side of her. She had to have taken it, even though she tried looking like she was sleeping too. She was cuddled up on her other side, with her arm draped over her waist.
She sighed heavily, placing it back to the homepage, before getting up to go to the staff desk. The man at the desk—she didn't care to find out his name, but he was polite.
"Hi I was just wondering how much further delayed the flight is?" Santana asked and the man looks down at the computer.
"It still says another hour, so it should be leaving soon. You trying to get home for Christmas?" He asked her with a small smile and she nods her head distantly.
"It's that obvious?" Santana asked, knowing that it has to be because hell who isn't trying to that is here?
He nods. "Yes and I've seen many people like you that are trying incredibly hard to get to their family, but only end up stressed out. I can assure you though, the snow should stop soon and you'll get out of here in no time," he assures her and Santana strangely found that comforting, though she's not sure how he knew that the snow would stop. But she wasn't going to question it, but instead say thank you and walk back to her seat.
Santana decided that all she could do now was just sit here and wait. Before she realized anything, she was dozing off.
x.x.x.x.x
Flight 570 to JFK is now boarding. - 10:00 p.m
Santana's eyes slowly start opening and she soon spots the people in her gate rising from their seats, making her eyes snap open wide. She looks down at her phone and sees it's now already ten at night—by now she wouldn't be surprised if Quinn has fallen asleep, so she didn't bother calling to tell her they were boarding.
Santana ran to the doors and handed her ticket to the same man from earlier. He smiled at her and then she walked in to the plane. She found a seat in the middle, away from the emergency exit because she hated being near it just in case. So now it was time to just wait and when she got back to New York, she'll drive home in her car and cuddle with her wife.
…
December 24th, New York, New York - 10:35 p.m
Thirty five minutes later and she's in New York. To wait five hours just for a thirty five minute flight didn't seem worth it, but her family was worth the delays she endured. She quickly got off the plane, with her bags in tow and walked out to the cold gusts of wind and white all over the place—she slowly began to smile; it really was beginning to look like Christmas.
Santana began driving home in silence on the newly plowed roads and made it there, no later than eleven – thirty. Santana was exhausted from the stress, from the wait and just from it all. She just wanted to get in bed. She sighed in contentment though—she was in front of her driveway and was officially home, and she will be home to see Juliana open her presents and be there to kiss her wife in the morning.
She pulled her bags out of the trunk and locked the car, walking up the steps to the front door. There, she unlocked it and quietly shut it behind her. Like she had expected the house was completely silent, the fire was dim and the lights on the tree were bright. She smiled and took in the aroma of the leftover cookie smell.
She took her heels off and placed them by the door, before making her way into the kitchen to see the glass of milk and cookies on the plate that Juliana left for Santa. When Santana grabbed two cookies, leaving one for Juliana, she noticed a little note by the plate. She took it in her hands and began reading it.
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is for my Mama to be home. And a new dolly, but mostly my Mama.
Enjoy the cookies,
Love Juliana
Santana smiled at the scribble, she imagined Quinn helped her write it and pulled out a piece of paper and pen from the draw and began writing.
Juliana,
I just may have made your wish come true.
Have a Merry Christmas. And remember, be a good little girl all year.
Love Santa
She placed the note on top of the last cookie and downed the glass of milk, before walking into the master bedroom with the two cookies. She sighed and crawled into bed, after dropping her bags down. She wrapped her arms around her sleeping wife, who instantly awoke at the movement.
"Mmm babe," Quinn said tiredly and Santana smiled, before kissing her on the cheek.
"Yeah, go back to sleep. I brought you a cookie, but you can sleep," she tells her softly, only to have Quinn whine and turn around taking one of the cookies from her wife and taking a bite of it.
"Did you leave a note?" Quinn asked as she munched on the cookie. Santana nodded—this was a little routine. They'd pretend to be Santa and Juliana isn't disappointed, although when Brittany visits sometimes, they still have to pretend to be Santa.
"I am so tired," Santana comments, while finishing up her cookie, before getting out of bed and pulling her white blouse out of her bust high skirt. She pulls it off and walks around their room shirtless, before unzipping the skirt and pulling it off to throw in their laundry.
"You sure?" Quinn asks from the bed as Santana walks back in just her bra and panties to see Quinn wearing the same thing with a smirk.
Santana groans, before crawling back in bed and leaning in to Quinn's lips, placing lingering kisses on them. "How did you know I'd even be home in time?" She asked into her lips, before capturing them again.
Quinn smiled into the kiss. "I hoped," she whispers, before flipping Santana over so she was on top and kissed down her body. "Now are you sure you're too tired?" Quinn asked and Santana sighs.
"I'm sorry where's my holiday spirit? Do what you want with me my wife," Santana says, holding her arms out in surrender, making Quinn laugh as she does just that.
…
The sun just barely peaked in the master room as silence filled the house. Quinn and Santana cuddled in their bed, wearing her pajamas because if they knew anything from past Christmases it was that Juliana ran in and sometimes got close to catching an eyeful. Last year, Brittany was off from tour and Juliana ran in, after Santana and Quinn exchanged their 'gift' the night before, so they were still undressed and Juliana was jumping on them while they tried desperately to keep themselves covered.
Thankfully Brittany ran in and got a look at Santana's glare and suggestive looks down, finally catching the hint to drag the little girl out so they could get dressed and such.
Suddenly their bedroom door creaked and in pokes the little brown mop of hair. She scans the area and instantly spotted her Mommy, before climbing on the bed and her eyes widened at the sight of her Mama in bed with her. She smiled happily, before plopping down and waiting for her Mama just to notice the deadweight on her body.
She didn't wait, not even two minutes before tapping on Santana's shoulder a few times, making her groan.
"Quinn stop it, I'm trying to sleep," she grumbles into her wife's blonde mass. Quinn sighs in her sleep, hearing Santana's complaint.
"San I'm not doing anything," she tells her tiredly with her eyes still closed. The realization kicked in and Santana opened her eyes partly to see Juliana sitting on top of her.
"Well this wake up is a lot more tamed than usual," she comments, making Juliana giggle. "What's goin' on mija?"
Juliana shrugs. "I just happy you're here," she tells her, making Santana smile and grab her for a hug, to cuddle her up.
"Me too. I love you so much and I promised I would be here, I couldn't break it," she tells her, before releasing her from her grasp. Juliana still lays there for a moment and Santana looks over at Quinn, who's now awake.
"Why don't we make some breakfast and then open presents," Quinn suggests and just like that Juliana's eyes widen and she bolts out, screaming loudly.
"If Santa brought Mama home, I wonder what else I got!" And just like that both women heard a cry. Santana turned her head and saw Quinn staring back at her.
"I'll get him, you just take care of breakfast," Santana says, leaning in to kiss her. "Oh and Merry Christmas," she whispers, before pulling away and getting out of the bed. Then she remembered her bag of goodies she bought at the airport and tossed the two packages of gummy worms over towards her wife.
Quinn looked down at them, then back up at Santana and laughed. "Thanks babe," Santana laughed in response before making her way out of the room to Nikolai's nursery.
In there she picked up the little boy. He had blonde hair, like his grandma since Quinn isn't a natural blonde—she found that out in other ways…shh!
"Hey little man," Santana says and places him on the changing table to change his diaper. With much difficulty since he seems to be in the kicking stage, she finally got the new fresh diaper on him and he didn't even pee on her this time.
She carries him out of the room and already sees Juliana sitting at the table eating toast with her legs swinging back and forth, while she waits for her Mommy to finish the eggs and bacon. Santana places Nikolai in his high chair and walks into the kitchen to make him a bottle, but is stopped by Quinn who hands her one she already made.
"You always know," Santana comments, kissing her cheek before walking out and sitting down in front of it to hold the bottle for him to drink.
"Well of course, who else is going to do it when you're off on business?" Quinn says as she flips the eggs in the pan.
"Well someone has to pay for your bacon addiction," Santana responds, tilting her arm further up so he can get to the formula easier.
Quinn just looks over at her wife with narrowed eyes, then nods. "That's true," she mumbles, making Santana laugh. She turns her head to look over at Juliana, who is still munching on her toast quietly—a little too quietly.
Santana found this odd, but turns her attention back to her son to see he has drank the entire bottle. "Well you sure were hungry," she tells him, wiping loose milk from his face with his bib. She walked back in the kitchen with the empty bottle and Quinn hands her a jar of food with a spoon, before she got her bacon out of the oven.
"What's with her?" Santana whispers to Quinn, pointing towards their daughter. The silence from her side was becoming a little unsettling and she didn't like it.
"Oh I told her if she plays the Silent Game we'll get her a new toy," she tells her, making Santana shake her head. Just like her daughter to want a new toy when she's getting a bunch of new ones for Christmas.
"I think you spoil her," Santana grumbles and Quinn's eyes widen in disbelief as she watches her walk back to Nikolai and sits back in her chair.
"Oh don't even go there Santana," Quinn points towards her as Santana just smirks in her direction. "You're a mean wife," she adds and Santana couldn't help but chuckle at her.
"Yes I'm a mean wife, who pays for your bacon," Santana exclaims and Quinn puts the bacon and eggs on separate plates—she gets more bacon than the rest of them.
"Well as long as you know your place honey," Quinn tells her, bringing the plates to the table, putting one in front of Santana, and leans in to peck her lips. This is their usual banters, but it's so much better than actual fights, don't you think?
…
After breakfast, Juliana was able to actually talk and she ran to the tree as soon as she got the okay to do so. She ran around it trying hard to find all of her presents—but it's kind of hard when you can't read; she's working on it though.
"Mama help me, please?" Juliana asked, knowing her mothers' would scowl at her if she didn't use the magic word. Santana got up from the table as Quinn took Nikolai out of his high chair, after she cleaned him up and his left over jar of food. He had her eyes—it's almost apparent which one is most like which woman, but shockingly Santana had neither one of them. Quinn had them both, they just used Santana's eggs for Juliana and a donor that was like Quinn, then just used a different donor that's like Santana for Nikolai, using Quinn's eggs.
Santana said she'd have at least one, but Quinn's been through pregnancy before and she had to admit she actually liked being pregnant; something about it being a beautiful moment, maybe back in high school it sucked because she was so young and on top of the world, plus it's not like it was planned nor did she have the support. With her dad not in the picture anymore, her mother has been very accepting of her family with Santana and even sends gifts for birthdays and holidays since she is afraid to travel—although she seemed to make it for the births; she needed her mom for those times, much like the first.
Santana's parents do the same and they came for Thanksgiving, and Santana was going to go back to Ohio this year with her family, but Santana had her business trip and she really didn't want to go as it is. She was lucky the distance from the two states wasn't bad at all, but if she went from Boston to Ohio, someone would have to go get her and the weather was bad everywhere in the north—just so many things wrong for that trip.
Santana sorted out the presents for Juliana and Nikolai. She even found one for her from both her kids, knowing that it was obviously from Quinn, but she never questioned it. They swore they weren't going to exchange gifts this year, but secretly Santana couldn't help herself—they say it every year and never follow through.
"Okay, Juliana get in it," Santana tells her, standing up and walking into the room to grab her gift, and hiding it in her sweatpants—it's usually not so affective since Quinn can find it quick…again shh! Santana walked back out with the bag from the airport and handed Nikolai his blue bear. He grabbed it instantly and cuddled it, making Santana giggle and kiss his forehead.
"Mama, Mommy! Look what Santa got me!" She yelled from the floor and showed them her brand new doll that she asked for in the letter to Santa.
"Oh wow! See I told you he'd bring it to you," Quinn said as Juliana smiled widely, opening more presents. Santana turns to Quinn, who is watching Juliana with a big smile. She pulls her present out of her pants and hands it to her.
Quinn looks over at her and gaps her mouth open at the box. Santana takes Nikolai in her arms and sits him on her lap.
"I couldn't help myself. I saw it in the store a few weeks ago and thought it was perfect for you," Santana told her as she rips the corners neatly off. "Baby you can mess up my wrapping," she adds with a laugh.
"I'm sorry it just looks so pretty," she comments, before ripping it open and sees the Zales box. She opened it and Quinn's eyes widen at the diamond and white gold bracelet.
"Oh my God San," she breaths out, taking it out of the box to look at it closer. "It's beautiful," she adds as Santana wraps her arms around Nikolai so she can help put it on her wife's wrists.
"I love it so much. Thank you baby," she tells her, leaning in to kiss her deeply.
"You're welcome," she smiles and to be perfectly honest, she didn't expect anything in return—just the love that Quinn shows her every day. That's all she truly needed and asks for, so it's amazing.
"I also couldn't help myself," Quinn breaks her moment and Quinn takes her gift out of her pocket, showing an almost guilty expression on her face. Santana breaths out a laugh, before taking the box from Quinn, while holding their son. She pulled the bow off and broke the wrapping, showing a similar box just from a different store.
Santana opened the box up and saw a white gold necklace with little pendants of a little girl and boy to symbolize their two children. "I know they mean the world to you, so I saw that and I remember when I was young my mother had one and she always said it was the best gift she ever got," Quinn shrugged and Santana finally looked up and smiled.
She leaned in and kissed her wife just as deeply as before. "I love it and you're mother's right. Best gift I ever received, next to these two right in front of me. But you also mean the world to me, so I guess I'll need to find something to do so that you're always with me," Santana stated as Quinn helped her place the necklace around her neck.
"Oh! Maybe a tattoo," Santana says with a big smile and Quinn laughs.
"Oh a tattoo huh?" Quinn asks leaning closer and giggles into her lips as Santana hums a response. Quinn captures her lips with her own "Mmm that's sexy. I think you should," she adds and Santana decides that some point during the week she will do just that.
The rest of the day went on without much difficulty. Quinn and Santana exchanged flirtatious comments as well as affections, Juliana was still loud and she played with her new toys most of the day, while Nikolai alternated from taking a nap to his bouncer. They eventually just laid around that night and watched the classic Christmas movies, before Juliana knocked out, then they called it a night and another successful Christmas.
So here is the next installment of the saga and I hope you like it. The next and last one will be New Years, which isn't going to be so happy. They can't always be happy, so I'm pretty positive on what I want to do and work from there. Anyway, review and let me know what you think.